1. The History

The Al-Hilal mosque is famously called Katangka mosque. The word “katangka” refers to the name of place where the mosque sits. One inscription informs that the mosque was constructed in 1603 C.E, but some historians are doubtful about this information. Another opinion said that it was built in the early 18^th century.

It is assumed that the mosque construction was together with great wave of Islamization in Makasar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. According to local legend, the founder of the mosque was prominent ulama from West Sumatera, Indonesia, titled Daeng Bandang. The mosque was considered as the luxurious mosque in that period since bricks were selected as its main building material. This is the very evidence that the mosque was perceived as an important building among the society.

Alongside functioned as a ritual place, the mosque`s yard is also used as graves of the founder`s descendents and prominent religious leaders. Grave houses with a small dome surmounting the roof built on the grave of the founder and his descendent to separate from other graves.     

2. The Location

The Katangka mosque stands on the Syech Yusuf Street, close to the border of Makasar city and Gowa district. The grave of Syech Yusuf, the most famous Muslim Sufis of the region, lays 500 meters from the mosque.

3. The Measure

The mosque measures 174.24 square meters in total.

4. The Architecture

The square building of the Katangka mosque is constructed with thick bricks, 120 cm. In addition, the Javanese joglo architecture clearly influenced the architecture of the mosque. Four columns placed in the middle area resemble soko guru (timber columns) in the architecture of joglo in Java. But unlike columns in traditional architecture in Nusantara (Malay Archipelago) which are made of timber, the Katangka mosque`s columns are structured with pile of bricks, modeled in form of convex cylinder like those of Greek Doric architecture.

Wall is structured on these Doric columns to support roofs. The wall separates the upper most roofs from the lower. The upper most roofs itself was shape as pyramid and woven with earthen roof tile.

As for ornamentation, four windows are placed at each side of the square wall supported by the four columns. The windows do not provide natural cross ventilation.

Additionally, the mosque has a verandah covered by the prime roof. Alongside as an additional prayer area, it is used also as place of learning the reading of the holy Qur`an.

One can enter the main area of the mosque after entering three doors. The number of the doors is clearly influenced by the joglo architecture of Java that has three doors before reaching private room.

Although built in Makasar, uniquely the mosque architecture is not influenced by local architecture. It was probably as part of the modernization process of local construction in the region.

5. The Planning

There are no data that mention who the founder of the Katangka mosque was. Temporal assumption said that the founder was Daeng Bandang, a prominent ulama from Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia.

6. The Renovation

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