The Great Demak Mosque

Salam, :)

The assignment given was to find about the tiered roof of Masjid Agung Demak.

Masjid Agung Demak terletak di pekan Demak, Central Jawa, Indonesia.
Masjid itu melambangkan keagungan yang dicapai kesultanan Demak sebagai kesultanan Islam di Pulau Jawa selain daripada menjadi mercu tanda kepada syiar Islam. Masjid ini ada antara masjid yang tertua di bina di Nusantara. Sealain itu, masjid ini juga telah di dirikan oleh 9 para wali atau wali Songo.
The mosque was built in 1428.

Unlike other mosques in the middle east, Masjid Agung Demak  is built from timber also known as kayu balak. The tiered roof is supported by four huge teak pillars. Because of this, the mosque is rather small compared to other type of modern mosques in Indonesia.


The Great Demak Mosque has many meanings to its design. One of the important feature of the mosque is the roof. The three tiered roof resembles to every whom beriman,starting from the stage of Mukmin, Muslim and Muhsin or Iman, Islam and Ihsan.

There are many other aesthetic meanings to the design of The Great Demak Mosque. Mainly based from the values of Islam,eg, the 5 rukun of Islam and Iman. What interest me is that how people at that century/year/age was able to design a building of simplicity, well honestly without the wow effect unlike some other old buildings that I have seen but yet with a high aesthetic value/ meaning.
Amazing. 

To read more 
http://bacaanku.web44.net/index.php?pilih=news&mod=yes&aksi=lihat&id=78
http://www.waspbook.co.cc/2010/08/masjid-agung-demak-monumen-walisanga.html
or just search under Majid Agung Demak.

Wasalam.