The sound of a drum from the mosque’s verandah could be heard. It was near the juhur (midday) adzan (call to prayer), when many Muslims go to pray at the Surakarta Hadiningrat Grand Mosque.
As reported by The Jakarta Post's Boy T. Harjanto, the Grand Mosque was built by Sultan Pakubuwono III in 1763 and finished in 1768.
The mosque also serves as a venue for religious-related rituals such as Grebeg (an event to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Mohammad) and the Sekaten Festival (a week-long ceremony, festival and fair to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Mohammad), which are held in the compound.
The Surakarta sultan has a role as a religious leader in the sultanate.
All Grand Mosque staff have the same privilege as the courtiers.
The mosque is located on a 19,180-square-meter plot and its wall is as high as 3.25 meters.
The architecture of the mosque resembles a three-tier crown. There are also several other smaller buildings in the mosque compounds that serve different purposes. (Masdar)