Lubuk Bauk Mosque

1. History

In Batusangkar district, West Sumatera, Indonesia, lays a beautiful mosque that is estimated to be built more than one century ago. The exact time of its construction is not clearly known, but approximately was in the late of 19^th century or early twentieth century. The place where the mosque was built is well known as Lubuk Bauk, therefore the mosque was named Lubuk Bauk mosque. Additionally, the local inhabitants call it Surau Nagari Lubuk Bauk. The mosque (surau) is a part of Malay cultural sites that exists in west Sumatera until this time. Its brown wall and rusty zinc roof strongly indicated its old age. The natural color of timbers dominates its performance, except the wooden wall located under tiered pyramidal roof that is painted with black, yellow and dark red color.

2. Location

As mentioned above, the mosque is located in Lubuk Bauk, Batu Sangkar, west Sumatera, Indonesia.

3. Measure

This sub title is still in the process of collecting of data.

4. Architecture

The mosque is constructed with unique even spectacular architecture. It was clearly constructed in a fashion suitable with the local nuance of the west Sumatera, therefore some architects classified it into vernacular stream of architecture. Its design, shape, construction, building materials, decoration entirely represent the local tradition. It can be said that the mosque architecture symbolizes harmonious symbiosis between the concept of the mosque brought by outsiders and the architecture that originally from the local art tradition.

The local nuance can be seen throughout the outside part of the mosque. As other mosques in the west Sumatera, a pool is placed in its yard used for many functions such as wudu (performing ritual ablution before praying), fish breeding, cooling the surrounding area, and conducting many other social activities. The local inhabitants call such a place as luhak.

The mosque is designed as a rectangular shape with three piles of floor: kolong (basement), the first floor and the second floor. If the kolong is not considered as a part of the mosque`s floor, the mosque merely has two piles. Traditional construction in the west Sumatera, as in other areas of Malay lands, needs kolong as a space where columns are built to support entirely upper building. The first floor is a place of prayer, while the second is for surau.

Timbers are the main building material due to its ease and availability in the area at the time, and zinc is chosen to be used as its roof. The roof is located high above the floor with a curved eaves, the very characteristic design feature of Minang architecture. The roof comprises four tiered roof form because the vernacular material is timber. The highest roof is the smallest one. The first and the second roofs are designed as a pyramidal form, while the third and the fourth are as a crown, crossing to the four main directions with curved eaves. The top of each eaves, as Minang architecture, is designed to be higher and sharper. Additionally, the first and the second ascending layers of the pyramidal roofs are separated with balustrade.

The highest ascending layer of the roof resembles gardu, designed as octadic form with a glass window at each side. The octahedral shape allows the roof to be designed as pyramid on it with a tall beautiful horn shape like pinnacle surmounting the roof, decorated with plates of zinc, balls, and woven with palm fronds that appear to be similar to lotus in Hindu building. This element (gardu) is also functioned as minaret. Today, a loudspeaker is placed at one side of the gardu to call out the adhan and pengajian (reading of the Qur`an) to be heard by the distant inhabitants. To step up this minaret, one can take the spiral stairs inside the mosque as the only way.

5. Planning

No one knows who the initiator or the architect was. The oral historical data might reveal this mysterious information, but unfortunately, such data also have not yet been found.

6. Renovation

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