The number of people in the congregation was small but when the service started, everyone was worshipping with serious faces

Worship in Istiqlal mosque — People praying at the Istiqlal Mosque

Many congregations were seen on the ground floor in the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. The cloister surrounded the ground floor. And the second and third floors were set up above the cloister. And the roof was supported by thick pillars. The cloisters on the second and third floors may be full of worshippers on Fridays, but on Mondays I visited, there were not many worshippers. The number of people on the second and third floors was sparse.

In this mosque, even a pagan like me can stay in the mosque during the prayers. I'm not allowed to be on the first floor where congregations play, but I'm allowed to be on the second and third floors. Most of the time, when the time of prayer comes, the pagans have to go outside the mosque, and in some places In the first place, it was not allowed to enter the mosque. So, it could be said that this mosque is not only a big building but also a big degree.

I stood in the corridor on the third floor and waited patiently for the prayer to start. As the time was approaching, people were gathering there, but there were a few people on the ground floor. Compared to the size of the building, the number of congregations was few. Nevertheless, when the time came, the service began, and the people who had gathered listened to the sermon with sincere expressions on their faces. They were all bowing together, probably because the time had come for them to pray towards Mecca.

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