The Wilhelminapark and the Citadel Prins Frederik in 1946.

The mosque was formerly the location of the Wilhelminapark and a 19th-century Citadel.

 

Istiqlal mosque under construction. On the right side is the Jakarta Cathedral

After the proclamation of Indonesian independence in 1945, the idea of constructing a grand Indonesian national mosque was raised by Wahid Hasyim, Indonesia's first minister for religious affairs,[1] and Anwar Cokroaminoto, later appointed as the chairman of the Masjid Istiqlal Foundation. The committee for the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque, led by Cokroaminoto, was founded in 1953. He proposed a national mosque to Indonesian President Sukarno, who welcomed the idea and later helped to supervise the mosque's construction. In 1954 the committee appointed Sukarno technical chief supervisor.[2]: 106  The architect of the Istiqlal Mosque was Friedrich Silaban, the winner of a design competetion.[3]

Several locations were proposed; Mohammad Hatta, Indonesian vice president, suggested that the mosque should be built near residential areas on Thamrin avenue, on a plot where Hotel Indonesia stands today.[4] However, Sukarno insisted that a national mosque should be located near the most important square of the nation, near the Merdeka Palace. This is in accordance with the Javanese tradition that the kraton (king's palace) and masjid agung (grand mosque) should be located around the alun-alun (main Javanese city square), which means it must be near Merdeka Square.[5] Sukarno also insisted that the national mosque should be built near Jakarta Cathedral and Immanuel Church, to symbolize religious harmony and tolerance as promoted in Pancasila.[6] It was later decided that the national mosque was going to be built in Taman Widjaja Kusuma (formerly Wilhelmina park), in front of the Jakarta Cathedral. To make way for the mosque, the Citadel Prins Frederick, built in 1837, was demolished.[7][8]

The foundation stone was laid by Sukarno on 24 August 1961;[9][10] the construction took 17 years. President Suharto inaugurated it as the national mosque on 22 February 1978.[9][11] As of 2013[update] it is the largest mosque in the region of Southeast Asia, with a capacity of over 120,000.[12][13]: 65 

On Friday night, 14 April 1978 a bomb made of plastic explosive was set off near the mimbar in Istiqlal Mosque. There were no casualties reported.[14] More than 20 years later, on 19 April 1999 a second bomb attack took place in the basement of the mosque, breaking the glass of the office rooms.[15]

Between May 2019 to July 2020 the mosque underwent major renovation at a cost of US$35 million. Works included: polishing and cleaning the marble exterior and stainless steel geometric ornamentation, a new mihrab and mimbar, upgrading electrical and plumbing systems, new lighting system using LED lamps, renovation of VIP rooms, new gates and improvements of garden, park and plaza, new kiosk for vendors, and also two storied basement parking space.[16][17]

A tunnel connecting Istiqlal Mosque and St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral has been constructed by the Indonesian authorities. This tunnel, known as the "Terowongan Silaturahmi" (Tunnel of Friendship), was expected to be finished in April 2020 before Ramadan 2020.[18]

 

Inscription of the Inauguration of the Istiqlal Mosque in 1978