"Sometimes, the overwhelming power of nature can make you question the very foundations of your existence..." - Ghost of the Tsunami
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(Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, Banda Aceh) |
Day 1: 20 February 2024 (Tuesday)
Route: Kuala Lumpur – Banda Aceh
Hotel: Medan Hotel
As it was only a 4-day trip, we decided to drive and park our car at KLIA2. We met with the rest of the group from Setiawan at the check-in counter. After self-check-in, we had ample time for breakfast at Mamak Express. The Air Asia AK423 flight to Aceh was at 7.40 am and was on time.
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(A table full of tasty dishes for lunch) |
After lunch we performed solat jamak Zohor/Asar at the Masjid Raya Baiturrahman located in the center of Banda Aceh. The 19th-century Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is a regional icon of Banda Aceh with delicate Mughal tracery, black domes and a reflecting pool. is a symbol of religion, culture, spirit, strength, struggle and nationalism Baiturrahman Grand Mosque of the Acehnese people. The mosque has survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
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(The magnificent 130-year old grand mosque of Aceh) |
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(The vast beautiful courtyard of Masjid Raya Baiturrahman |
The original Masjid Raya was built in 1612 during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda. Some say the original mosque was built even earlier in 1292 by Sultan Alaidin Mahmud Shah. The original royal mosque featured a multi-tiered thatched roof, a typical feature of Acehnese architecture.
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(The pulpit and mimbar area) |
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(The muslimah section at the back) |
We checked in GM Inn but unfortunately, we had to move to Medan Hotel because of interrupted power supply. After a short rest, we went to visit Yayasan Pasantren Lampoh Beut and handed over some donations and gifts for the school children.
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(Welcoming Speech by the young Mudir) |
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(Group photo with the students) |
Our next visit was to the miraculous Masjid Rahmatullah Aceh Besar also known as Masjid Turki to perform our jamak Maghrib/Isya prayers. Masjid Rahmatullah was established in 1997. The mosque is still standing strong and did not collapse despite being located only 500 meters from the beach while the nearby surrounding buildings and trees collapsed. The 1,600 square meter mosque only suffered some minor damages in the inner pillars.
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(This mosque which survived the 2004 Tsunami) |
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(Miracle of Allah, still standing strong and unscathed) |
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(The main prayer area was not affected) |
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(The damaged parts of the mosque) |
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(Looks like a disaster movie) |
The restoration and renovation were funded by the government of Turkey. The two beautiful white towers, stand strong on the left and right sides of the mosque, while Turkish star and crescent symbols are displayed in front of the building. In addition, Turkish government also built 700 houses around the mosque. The village in Lhoknga sub-district was dubbed as "Turkish Village".
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(A small museum next to Masjid Rahmatullah) |
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(The mosque after the devastating 2004 tsunami) |
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(Photo displays in the museum) |
We had dinner at Restoran Nasi Sate Matang located in front of our hotel. The beef satay was served with rice and hot soup. There was quite a crowd at the restaurant but the service was excellent.
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