Tag: An Nur Great Mosque

Heroic Story behind Putri Kaca Mayang Park

travelingpersecond
Bambu Runcing Monument.

A roundabout in southeast of An-Nur Great Mosque is decorated with a yellow pointed bamboo monument with background of University of Riau right behind it. I continued to direct my Canon EOS M10 towards the monument until an online motorcycle taxi driver came to call me.

Looked like I would spend the afternoon with local residents to enjoy city atmosphere in a Green Open Space on edge of the protocol road. From An-Nur Great Mosque, I headed south for 4 kilometers with a 15-minute motor driving.

Ten minutes to four I arrived. Dozens of people have drifted into quiet atmosphere of park even though roar of vehicle exhausts adorned sound color around it.

A park with background of The Premiere Hotel.

Unique, this park is divided by a shortcut which connects Jenderal Sudirman Street in east of park and Sumatera Street in its west. It is pinned a name as RTH Kaca Mayang Steet, it is short splitting along a hundred meter.

Three-legged concrete seating, three categories of modern trash can, mushroom shaped concrete canopy with green roof, a pair of sand playful area with up-down stairs which flank a theater area, small diameter trees as a sign that they are recently embedded, jogging track with continuous pattern of two halves of park and two small bridges over a fairly clean water flow are types of facility which are seated in this one hectare park. That is a brief description of Putri Kaca Mayang park that I can catch.

Putri Kacang Mayang park is one of eight Green Open Spaces in Pekanbaru which is known as the most child-friendly park. Regional government has to spend USD 45,000 to build this park.

Park naming itself is taken from a local fairytale which is believed to be the origin of Pekanbaru city. Putri Kaca Mayang is said to be described as a beautiful princess who was later kidnapped by a king from Atjeh who was hurt because his marriage proposal was rejected.

Commander Gimpam who is the strongest figure in Gisab Kingdom feels his pride was trampled by princess kidnapping, because King from Atjeh with a help from a traitor had managed to fool him who was preparing to wait for battle at city borderline, while his enemy managed to enter the kingdom through another very path secret.

Without long thinking, King Atjeh was chased alone by him. With his power, Commander Gimpam destroyed the entire enemy kingdom alone and finally princess was returned to him. But unfortunately, Princess didn’t survive returning to Gisab Kingdom because of falling ill on the way.

That is a story piece of Putri Kaca Mayang Park naming. Apparently, there is a classic story behind beauty of this city park.

Heading to An-Nur Great Mosque from Chinatown

travelingpersecond

I took a moment to close my eyes after I finished check-in process at Sri Indrayani Hotel. An uneasy night on a middle bench of INTRA Bus, continued for four hours on foot to explore Senapelan area had made my calf muscles exhausted and my eyes felt heavy.

My smartphone which was still charging, shouted to wake me up, exactly one hour before Asr Prayer. Prayer times was indeed an option as a starting marker for continuation of my journey in Pekanbaru. That was because I chose to visit the grandest mosque in the whole of Riau Province or it could be said as one of the grandest in the country.

No longer postpone for late lunch, I went through Chinatown along Dr. Leimena Street which isn’t far from my hotel gate, until I found a small restaurant which exposed fragrant spices and looked very crowded. Its entire seat in downstairs was almost full and without long thinking, I immediately occupied one seat in between.

Noodles with bean sprouts mixed with lontong (Indonesian compressed rice), shrimps, eggs and fragrant with a sprinkling of fried onions….Hmmh, delicious.

Slowly drinking a sweet-sour of cold-orange juice made my body felt cool for a moment in the middle of city heat. And right at a last sip, an online motorcycle taxi came to pick me up.

Heading southeast for three kilometers and arrive at the gate exactly twenty minutes before Asr Prayer arrived. So many police officers in mosque courtyard, it seemed to be securing an important agenda that afternoon. Every vehicle which entered mosque area didn’t escape from strict inspection.

“Where are you going, Sir?” a young policeman which armed with long barrel gun said at entrance gate. “Asr prayer, Sir“, a password was so effective for passing the inspection.

It’s like the Taj Mahal, right?
Domes like an upside down “spinning top” and that palm trees….Hmmmhh, nice.

I hadn’t entered yet the mosque room. Busy in courtyard to enjoy the beauty of architecture which was presented in front of my eyes. A greeny dominant mosque which is a half of century old with large area which I estimate to be more than ten hectares….Really, very vast.

Just look at how spacious a parking lot side is?

The Mughals are still be dominant architectural style in it, its distinctive arches resembling arches of Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb in Agra. While nuances around the mosque was slightly adopted Al-Masjidil Al-Haram atmosphere in Mecca and Al-Masjid An-Nabawi in Medina.

The Malay style is embedded to green color of main building, red color on tower ornaments and yellow gold color on interior ornament and calligraphy. Then the Malay custom is depicted on two levels of floor with veranda below. It adopts a concept of Malay’s houses on stilts.

Five pillars of Islam are symbolized by five domes and leadership of Prophet’s Caliph is represented on four towers.

Now I was preparing to Asr Prayer, purified myself on lower floor and then climbed stair by stair leading to main worship room on second floor. The atmosphere inside was so solemn, it made me feel grateful because I was still given an opportunity to visit this magnificent God house.

Six giant pillars with green color in base layer and white on top layer.

I made my sitting time so long in the back to enjoy this iconic religious tourism of Riau Province which is said able to accommodate almost five thousand worshipers.

Dome arch from inside.

This famous architectural creation in Pekanbaru can’t be separated from Kaharuddin Nasution cold hands, the second Riau Province Governor who moved Provincial Capital from Tanjung Pinang on Bintan Island to Pekanbaru in the 1960s. Certainly, this displacement had consequences for him to facilitate religious activities of residents majority who in fact embraced Islam. That is why the Governor felt it was important to present An-Nur Great Mosque.

Cool……