A Visit to Masjid Baiturrahman Semarang

These are some of the photos I took when I visited the Masjid Baiturrahman in 2023.

I visited Semarang several times during that time, and I spent a lot of time visiting this mosque and enjoying my time there.

When the weather is hot in Semarang, this Masjid really becomes an oasis, a comfortable place to find coolness for a moment.

At the time of the visit, the Masjid looked even better and more beautiful after the restoration. The presence of many reflective ponds and well-landscaped gardens make the Mosque part of the city's green landmarks.

Visitors to the Mosque are truly treated to a transitional experience from the outdoor space to the prayer space inside the Mosque, where visitors are well-organized.

Beginning when after crossing the gardens and ponds, visitors are invited to enjoy a comfortable and spacious ablution area, including supporting toilet facilities.

To get to the main prayer hall, male visitors still go through the old staircase while female visitors can use the elevator to the mezzanine floor.

The interior of the prayer hall is certainly physically nicer after going through the restoration phase, especially with regard to lighting and air conditioning that provides more comfort for worshipers. It is indeed a hall that provides solemnity at the time of prayer.

A Two-Storey Art Deco House at Jalan Gajah Mada Semarang

There is a small two-storey building currently used as a Bank Office. Almost certainly, as can be seen from the the design style, the building dates from the Art Deco Period during Dutch Colonial Era. 

The building is situated at Jl. Gajah Mada Semarang, a main street that connects Simpang Lima Area to the Tawang Train Station. It set back from the pedestrian side and almost hidden by the existence of its neighborhood multi-storey building.

Maybe this building was once a residential house. Then over the time, as the area grew into commercial area, this building changed its function.

However I have not found a clear source, whether this building is original from Colonial era, or just a replica.

An Old Building That Has Just Reportedly Collapsed Earlier This Week.

I unintentionally found an online article today that a building in Semarang's Old City area had collapsed. This collapsed building is known as Butterworth Building, a remaining old facade building at currently situated at Kepodang Street. According to sources this building was built in 1930s by a British  Trader.

It appears to be a remnant of front part of an old building with rows of louvered wooden windows within its arched transoms. And of course, there is an appearance of a kind of temple ornament, a giant head on top of a wooden door. It should be the main entrance belong to this building.

This news is quite surprising because in mid-November I have just visited this building. And maybe I was lucky enough to capture the building appearance in previous conditions. In fact, I also capture the appearance of this building more than ten years ago as seen in the picture below. In comparison, the condition of the building lasted quite a long time before finally collapsing this week.

A Snapshot to an Old Building with a Corner Tower

This corner tower belonging to an old building is currently prominent on the side of the main road  of the old city of Semarang. Actually, this is a restaurant that serves various local dishes.

This restaurant building is attached directly to the building next to it, namely the Bank Mandiri Office Building. This Bank Mandiri Ofice Building is known as an office that occupies a former "Societet de Harmonie" Building, a kind of Social Club Building from Dutch Colonial Era.

But if  we carefully look at the detailed shape of the corner tower of the restaurant building, it looks similar to the corner tower of the Bank Mandiri Office at the opposite far side. It looks like the restaurant building once was part of the same building as the building next to it.

I took some pictures of this spot more than ten years ago (as seen on pictures below). Basically, the appearance still the same and the overall shape of the building is well preserved. The older photos depict building as appearing to be a building is not open for public. And nowadays, the appearance of the same building becomes more alive.