SHIRATHAL Mustaqiem mosque is considered the oldest one in Samarinda, the capital city of East Kalimantan province.
“Shirathal Mustaqiem” is an Arabic term literally means the “straight path”. The mosque was established in 1881.
It has been in use since March 9, 1891 or Rajab 27, 1308 AH. The four sided building occupies 625 square meters with a total land area of 2,028 square meters.
The Shirathal Mustaqiem has become an iconic landmark of the city. In 2003, the mosque was awarded second place in Indonesia’s Historical Mosques Festival.
The mosque once known as the Jami’ Mosque, has been renovated several times.
It has been very well maintained, with its original character kept intact. The mosque’s existence is protected under Cultural Heritage Act No. 5/2012.
The historical mosque is situated in Masjid village, Samarinda Seberang subdistrict. Masjid village is also best known for its Samarinda hand-woven sarongs.
The Shirathal Mustaqiem was built at the location which once was part of the Kutai Sultanate. Its existence cannot be separated from the role of Said Abdurrachman bin Assegaf.
Said Abdurrachman was a travelling merchant from Pontianak of West Kalimantan. He came to Samarinda in 1880.
The Sultan of Kutai for the period 1845-1899, Aji Muhammad Sulaiman, became the first imam (prayer leader) of the mosque.[sahrudin]
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