In Indonesia it’s known as Masjid Kubah Mas, or otherwise as Masjid Dian Al-Mahri, and it’s built on a plot of 80 hectares surrounded by fruit trees and a few other large and luxurious buildings.

And make no mistake about it: no expense was spared in constructing the mosque: it’s absolutely incredible. Just imagine: all the domes, pillars, chandeliers and other ornaments are covered by pure 24 carrat gold!! In addition, some of the building materials are imported as well. The granite for example came from Italy, Spain, Norway, and Brazil.

Incredibly, this mosque was built by a successful businesswoman from Serang named Dian Juriah Maimun Al-Rasyid.

There’s still a lot of poverty in Indonesia, and arriving at the mosque after driving through run down and impoverished neighborhoods certainly raises a few interesting questions as to whether the money was wisely spent or not.

Admission to the mosque is free and people come from far and wide to see it. Some even have picnics on the nearby lawns. All in all, well worth seeing – even if it is quite a long drive from central Jakarta (1-1.5 hours from Senayan depending on the traffic).