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Tipped to be one of Asia's true touristic powerhouses, the Indonesia capital is no lightweight when it comes to cultural attractions. Called Batavia in centuries past, this religious heartland remains one of the region's epicenters of faith with a largely Islamic identity attached to its name. Legend states that the country's national religion of Islam was popularized by Arab traders that descended on the port of Sunda Kelapa during the 14th century. The populace, primarily made up of businessman and traders, set up shop in Batavia and then later settled there as residents and spread the word of Islam throughout the city and beyond. Some of the city's historic mosques are still thriving institutions disseminating the Islamic faith among the faithful in their respective precincts. The must-see highlights among these ancient edifices include the larger-than-life As-Salafiyah Mosque, which dates back to 1620. Constructed by the Banten Kingdom's very own Prince Jayakarta, the mosque also served as a strategic position in the city from where the prince and his troops drew up battle plans to defeat Dutch invaders. Spread out across 7000m2, another one of the mosque's highlights is the grave of its founder, Prince Jayakarta, who was also known as Prince Akhmed Jakarta. The Cut Meutia Mosque also boasts colonial links, as the 1879 structure was formerly served as the office of Pieter Adriaan Jacobus Moojen, a premier Dutch architect of the era. Displaying classic Dutch architectural elements, the 4616m2 space is a functioning mosque with the capacity to accommodate 3,000 worshippers. Other must-visit mosques in Jakarta include the Istiqlal Grand Mosque, which is considered the largest mosque in all of Southeast Asia. Sprawled across 2.5 hectares, this impressive spiritual centre can house 120,000 pilgrims at a single prayer session and plays a pivotal role during Idul Fitri prayer sessions and other local religious festivities such as Ramadan. The Jami' Kebon Jeruk Mosque is another intriguing point of interest in addition to the Sunda Kelapa Mosque, which occupies 9,920m2 in central Jakarta. Built to symbolize its namesake port, the boat-shaped mosque curiously contains no dome and star symbol like most mosques. The Tampora Mosque is another historic edifice constructed in 1767, although it showcases Chinese architectural leanings while the Mesjid Langgar Tinggi mosque, which was set up in 1829, displays colonial and Moorish building styles. Travellers in search of the best serviced accommodation Jakarta has to offer should consider the luxury options presented at the Somerset Grand Citra Jakarta. Tipped to house serviced apartments Jakarta counts among its finest long-stay living spaces, this respected name in hospitality provides suitable dwellings for holidaymakers and corporate clients. Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+
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