When you hear the name Aceh or what is nicknamed Bumi Veranda of Mecca, what comes to mind is the devastating 2004 Aceh tsunami and the Baiturahman Grand Mosque which was a silent witness to the natural disaster that shook the world. Apart from all that, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is a symbol of religion, culture and the struggle of the Acehnese people.
The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque was built in 1022H/1612M under the leadership of Sultan Iskandar Muda from the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam. From the start, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque was not only intended for worship activities. Quoting from tirto.id, this mosque was a center for Islamic religious education during the Aceh Sultanate era. According to Hasymy (in Abubakar 2020: 3), the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque college or also known as Al-Jamiah Baitturahman has 15 faculties. The teachers not only come from the ulama/scholars from Aceh, but are also brought from Turkey, Arabia, Persia, India and several other countries.
During the Aceh war against the Dutch, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque became a stronghold for the Acehnese people. In the first Dutch aggression, Aceh achieved victory against the Dutch. In fact, during the attack, the Dutch warlord, Major General H. R. Kohler, was shot dead in the courtyard of the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque (Abubakar, 2020). The failed first Dutch aggression had an impact on the launch of the second aggression led by General J. van Swiesten. During the attack, the Dutch burned down the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque. This action made the people of Aceh even more angry and became more fierce against the Dutch.
To regain the sympathy of the people of Aceh, the Dutch rebuilt the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque with one dome. Officially from the Ministry of Education and Culture, on Thursday 13 Shawwal 1296 H/09 October 1879 AD, the first stone was laid by Tengku Qadhi Malikul Adil. The construction process of this mosque was completed in 1299 H/1881 AD with one dome adopting the Moghul (Indian) style with a Dutch architect, Gerrit Bruins, assisted by a Chinese lieutenant, Lie A Sie, as contractor. In 1935, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque was expanded again by the Dutch by adding two domes on the right and left sides. This was done to attract the sympathy of the Acehnese people again because at that time the war was still going on between Aceh and the Netherlands.
