Visiting Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral

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Whenever we travel to Jakarta, we usually stay in Pantai Indah Kapuk, better known as PIK. It has become a familiar part of our family trips. But during our latest visit, we decided to stay somewhere different.

My younger sister Rani, who lives in Jakarta, suggested Mega Kuningan in South Jakarta. She thought it would be a convenient area for us, with plenty of places to eat, shop, and find anything we might need during our stay.

We eventually booked Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta, a serviced apartment in the heart of Mega Kuningan.

This part of the city is very different from PIK. Mega Kuningan belongs to Jakarta’s Golden Triangle, an area known for its office towers, embassies, international hotels, and residential apartments. It is busy, modern, and surrounded by some of the city’s major commercial districts.

And although our accommodation was in South Jakarta, one of the places I particularly wanted to revisit was in the centre of the city: Istiqlal Mosque, directly opposite Jakarta Cathedral.

I wanted Caesar and Milan to experience both places again, not simply as tourist attractions, but to understand how religion is part of everyday life in Indonesia. Religious traditions are deeply connected to the country’s history, culture, and daily routines.

Our Stay in Mega Kuningan Jakarta

I generally prefer serviced apartments when travelling with my family for several days. Having a kitchen, a separate living area, and somewhere to wash clothes makes a noticeable difference.

At Oakwood Premier Cozmo, breakfast was another pleasant part of our stay.

There was a good selection of Western dishes, Indonesian food, traditional cakes and snacks, fresh fruit, and drinks. They even served jamu, a traditional Indonesian herbal drink.

The breakfast selection changed during our stay, which I appreciated. As a vegetarian, I was also happy with the variety of food available. Caesar and Milan had no complaints either.

The apartment complex itself was convenient. There was a supermarket, a pharmacy, Starbucks, Subway, and several restaurants. On days when we didn’t feel like going anywhere, we could still buy what we needed without spending too much time outside in Jakarta’s heat.

Lotte Shopping Avenue, Kuningan City, and Mal Ambasador were also in the surrounding area.

The downside, of course, was the traffic.

Mega Kuningan is a busy business district, and travelling to other parts of Jakarta during rush hour can take quite a while. Still, as a place to stay with the family, it worked well for us.

A Friday Visit to Istiqlal Mosque

It was Friday, 31 July 2026, when we visited Istiqlal Mosque.

Friday is an important day for Muslims. Around midday, Muslim men who are required to attend Friday prayers gather at mosques to listen to a sermon and pray together. Women may also attend, although they are not obliged to do so.

For anyone unfamiliar with Indonesia, religion is very much part of daily life here.

Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population. According to population administration figures for the end of 2025, approximately 87 percent of its 288.3 million residents were Muslim.

But Indonesia is not officially an Islamic state, and its religious and cultural traditions are far more varied than some international visitors might expect.

The country’s national philosophy, Pancasila, includes belief in one supreme God as its first principle. Islam, Protestant Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are the six religions commonly recorded in Indonesian population administration.

You can hear the Muslim call to prayer in many parts of the country, and halal food is widely available. Yet the religious character of Indonesia can change considerably depending on where you travel.

Bali is predominantly Hindu, for example, while Flores has a strong Catholic tradition. We experienced a different part of Indonesia during our family trip to Labuan Bajo, on the western tip of Flores.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy travelling around Indonesia with Caesar and Milan. I want them to see that the country is not defined by just one culture, religion, or way of life.

And in Jakarta, there is perhaps no better place to introduce this subject than Istiqlal Mosque and the cathedral standing across the road.

Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta

Istiqlal Mosque is the largest mosque in Indonesia and one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

It stands in Central Jakarta, not far from the National Monument, or Monas, and is an important place for national religious celebrations as well as everyday worship.

The building is enormous. Its scale is impressive even before you step inside.

But what makes Istiqlal particularly interesting to me is its history.

The name Istiqlal comes from Arabic and means independence. The mosque was conceived as a symbol of gratitude for Indonesia’s independence.

It was built on land once occupied by Fort Prins Frederik, a fortress from the Dutch colonial period.

Construction began during the presidency of Sukarno, Indonesia’s first president, and the mosque was officially inaugurated by President Suharto on 22 February 1978. The project took approximately 17 years to complete.

One historical detail always catches my attention: the architect who designed this important Muslim place of worship was a Christian.

His name was Friedrich Silaban, an Indonesian Protestant architect who won the design competition in 1955.

I find that remarkable, particularly when thinking about the mosque’s place in Indonesian society today.

The Istiqlal complex is often said to accommodate around 200,000 worshippers. It is difficult to imagine that many people gathering in one place until you see how large the complex actually is.

And directly across the road stands Jakarta Cathedral.

Two major places of worship, belonging to different religious traditions, sharing one very prominent part of the capital.

What Non-Muslim Visitors Should Know About Istiqlal Mosque

You do not have to be Muslim to visit Istiqlal Mosque.

Non-Muslim tourists are welcome, although visits are organised so that sightseeing does not interfere with religious activities.

When we arrived, visitors were directed by staff and followed the mosque’s visitor arrangements.

Tourist registration is available through the official Istiqlal Mosque visitor website.

There are a few things I would recommend knowing before going.

Clothing and Visitor Etiquette

Visitors should wear modest clothing.

During our visit, people wearing shorts or clothing that did not meet the dress requirements were provided with long fabric coverings.

Female visitors were also given a head covering. The covering supplied during our visit was more like a scarf and did not completely cover the hair.

We were able to see the main prayer hall clearly, although we did not enter the area reserved for worshippers.

I thought the arrangements were reasonable. We could appreciate the building and listen to explanations from the guide while the mosque continued to function as a place of prayer.

Guided Visits and Admission

During our visit, we joined other tourists in a guided group.

The guide explained the mosque’s history, architecture, and religious activities. We did not have to pay an admission fee.

If you are visiting primarily to see the architecture, I would suggest avoiding the Friday midday prayer period. The mosque becomes very busy, and access for tourists may be limited.

The mosque’s general operating hours have been listed as 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., but this does not mean tourist visits are available throughout those hours.

It is better to check the latest arrangements on the official Istiqlal Mosque website before your visit.

Just Across the Road: Jakarta Cathedral

After spending time at Istiqlal Mosque and seeing the atmosphere surrounding Friday prayers, we crossed the road to Jakarta Cathedral.

There is something quite unusual about being able to walk from one of Southeast Asia’s largest mosques to a historic Catholic cathedral in just a few minutes.

Jakarta Cathedral’s official Indonesian name is Gereja Santa Perawan Maria Diangkat ke Surga, or the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.

The building looks very different from Istiqlal Mosque.

Its pointed towers, stained-glass windows, and high ceilings are characteristic of Neo-Gothic architecture. From certain angles, it could almost be a church in a European city.

The cathedral standing here today was inaugurated on 21 April 1901, during the Dutch colonial period.

Its design involved Father Antonius Dijkmans, a Jesuit priest and architect, and construction was later continued by engineer M.J. Hulswit.

The cathedral has three distinctive towers. The two towers at the front, known as the Tower of David and the Ivory Tower, are approximately 60 metres tall. The smaller central tower, Angelus Dei, is around 45 metres high.

Interestingly, although the towers resemble traditional European stone structures, they incorporate metal construction.

There is also a story behind the present cathedral building.

In 1890, the roof of the earlier church collapsed, just three days after Easter. The Catholic community then used a temporary building for about ten years until the present cathedral was completed.

A Little Connection to Groningen, the Netherlands

Of all the historical details about Jakarta Cathedral, this is one of my favourites.

The cathedral’s main altar originally came from the Netherlands.

It was made in the late nineteenth century and later transferred from a Jesuit church in Groningen to Jakarta in 1956. It was installed in the cathedral in 1958.

Groningen is a city in the north of the Netherlands, so naturally this detail caught my attention.

Perhaps that little Dutch connection explains why my husband Bas always seems so comfortable and peaceful whenever he visits and prays at Jakarta Cathedral.

Maybe it feels a little familiar to him. Who knows?

The cathedral also has a museum containing collections related to the history of the Catholic Church in Indonesia.

Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to visit the museum this time.

It gives us another reason to return.

Can Tourists Visit Jakarta Cathedral?

Yes. Jakarta Cathedral welcomes visitors from different religious backgrounds, not only Catholics.

As with Istiqlal Mosque, however, it is important to remember that this is an active place of worship.

Visitors should dress appropriately, speak quietly, and respect people who are praying or attending Mass.

Some areas may be temporarily closed to visitors during services, weddings, or other religious ceremonies.

And on the day we visited, a wedding ceremony was taking place.

An Unexpected Wedding Ceremony

When we entered the cathedral, we discovered that a wedding blessing was already underway.

The atmosphere was beautiful and solemn.

Even with the ceremony taking place, some parts of the cathedral remained accessible. Visitors could still enter designated areas, and people who wanted to pray could light candles near the statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

We were able to observe part of the wedding blessing without disturbing the ceremony.

It wasn’t something we had planned to see, but sometimes the experiences you haven’t arranged in advance are the ones you remember most clearly.

The Tunnel of Friendship Between the Mosque and Cathedral

There is another interesting connection between Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral, one that is not visible from the street.

An underground passage called Terowongan Silaturahmi, often translated as the Tunnel of Friendship, connects the two complexes.

The tunnel was designed to make access between the sites easier, but it also has a symbolic meaning.

It represents friendship and cooperation between religious communities.

The tunnel was officially inaugurated on 12 December 2024.

Unfortunately, despite visiting the mosque and cathedral in two consecutive years, we still haven’t been able to walk through it.

We were not given permission to use the passage during either visit.

So although we have seen both buildings more than once, the tunnel remains something we have yet to experience ourselves.

When Pope Francis Visited Jakarta

The relationship between Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral received international attention during Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia in September 2024.

On 4 September, Pope Francis visited Jakarta Cathedral and met members of the Catholic community, including bishops, priests, religious sisters and brothers, seminarians, and catechists.

The following day, 5 September, he visited Istiqlal Mosque, where he was welcomed by the Grand Imam, Nasaruddin Umar.

During the visit, they also viewed the Tunnel of Friendship.

Pope Francis and the Grand Imam signed the Istiqlal Joint Declaration 2024, addressing religious fraternity, human dignity, peace, and environmental responsibility.

Pope Francis also referred to the fact that Istiqlal Mosque had been designed by Friedrich Silaban, a Christian architect.

I think that detail says a great deal about why these two buildings are often mentioned together.

Their connection is not only about where they stand geographically. It is also part of a much longer history of people from different backgrounds working and living alongside one another.

Of course, religious coexistence in a country as large and diverse as Indonesia is not always simple.

But visiting these two places offers an opportunity to learn about that history beyond what we might see in photographs or read in a short description.

Watch Our Visit on Nasi en Stamppot

I also recorded parts of our visit to Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral for our family YouTube channel, Nasi en Stamppot.

If you would like to see the atmosphere inside the mosque and cathedral, you can watch our Jakarta vlog below.

Our Next Stop: Kota Tua Jakarta

After visiting both places, we still had more of Jakarta to explore.

Our next destination was Kota Tua, Jakarta’s Old Town.

This historic district offers a very different view of the capital, with old buildings and streets that preserve traces of Batavia, the city during the Dutch colonial period.

It was going to be quite a change from the modern office towers around our apartment in Mega Kuningan.

But I’ll save our visit to Kota Tua for another story.

Getting Around Jakarta by Online Taxi

During our stay in Jakarta, we mostly used online taxi services booked through mobile apps.

It was an easy and practical way for us to travel around the city.

We simply entered our pickup point and destination, checked the estimated fare, and booked a car. The prices quite reasonable, particularly when travelling together as a family.

We didn’t have to worry about parking or working out driving routes in Jakarta’s busy traffic.

Of course, using a taxi doesn’t make the traffic disappear. But for us, it was much more convenient than driving ourselves, especially when visiting different parts of the city in one day.

Would I Recommend Visiting Both Places?

Yes, especially if you are interested in history, architecture, or learning more about Indonesia beyond its beaches and holiday destinations.

Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral are close enough to visit on the same day, but they offer very different experiences.

At Istiqlal, we learned more about the history of Indonesia’s largest mosque and observed the atmosphere of Friday prayers.

At the cathedral, we discovered architectural details, a connection to the Netherlands, and unexpectedly witnessed part of a wedding blessing.

For Caesar and Milan, I hope visits like these help them understand that Indonesia is made up of many different communities and traditions.

And for me, that is one of the most worthwhile parts of travelling with children. We don’t always need to go somewhere far away or do something extraordinary to learn something new.

Sometimes, crossing a road is enough to discover another part of a city’s story.

If you’ve visited Istiqlal Mosque or Jakarta Cathedral, I’d be interested to hear about your experience.

And if you know any places worth exploring around Mega Kuningan, feel free to leave a recommendation in the comments. There may be somewhere we missed during this trip.

Our Jakarta journey continues in the next story, when we visit Kota Tua.

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