Indonesia taking the initiative by creating first mosque in new capital city

• President Joko Widodo led the groundbreaking ceremony for the first state mosque in Nusantara.
• The $32 billion project, scheduled for completion in 2045, will relocate Jakarta to Borneo Island.
• The project is seen as an attempt to secure President Widodo’s legacy before his second and final term ends.

On Wednesday, President Joko Widodo led the groundbreaking ceremony for the first state mosque in Indonesia’s new capital city, Nusantara. The Indonesian government is relocating the capital to Borneo Island to replace the overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java island, with the $32 billion megaproject scheduled for completion in 2045.

Inaugurating the construction of various buildings in Nusantara on Wednesday, including the mosque, a branch of the country’s biggest postal service firm Pos Indonesia, and a broadcast studio for the RRI state radio network, Widodo marked the first phase of building set to end in 2024.

President Widodo highlighted that the $62 million mosque will be part of a complex that will eventually house other places of worship. The government plans to erect Christian churches, as well as Buddhist, Hindu, and Chinese temples alongside the mosque.

“The construction value is about 940 billion rupiahs ($62 million), as this mosque will be huge … I hope this mosque will represent Indonesia’s diversity and serve as a space to increase our faith and piety,” he said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

“I want this mosque to be an example for other mosques in the world, and for it to showcase Indonesia’s unique qualities.”

Mosque design:

At Widodo’s request, Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta has designed the state mosque in Nusantara. Nyoman Nuarta, one of Indonesia’s most renowned visual artists and the creator of the country’s tallest statue, Garuda Wisnu Kencana in Bali, is also the designer behind other main structures in Nusantara, including the new state palace.

“This event signifies the start of the mosque construction, which will have a capacity of 22,317 worshippers, and will eventually be increased to 61, 392,” Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said.

“Philosophically, this structure will be built according to the values from the Qur’an, which says that we must maintain the balance between good relations with God and good relations between human beings.”

In 2019, President Widodo formally launched the new capital city project, widely perceived as an attempt to secure his legacy before the conclusion of his second and final term in office, which concludes this year.

On Feb. 14, over 204 million Indonesians will head to the polls to elect the country’s new president, vice president, and legislators.

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