The Oldest Mosque on Lombok

My driver was kind enough to grant my request to take a small detour after we had finished visiting today's waterfalls. I asked him to bring me to Bayan Beleq Mosque, built in 1634, making it the oldest mosque on Lombok and one of the oldest in continuous use in Indonesia.

Its design is an interesting hybrid of Hindu and Javanese influences, not surprising because the Wetu Telu form of Islam is a highly idiosyncatic and local branch of the religion found only on Lombok. 

The mosque and all the buildings in the complex have roofs constructed of sugar palm fiber and walls of woven bamboo. The palm and bamboo must be replaced every seven years to keep the structures intact.

The mosque is only used a few times per year for only the most important religious observances. Though we could not enter the buildings, the site is an extraordinary expression of the diversity of Islam and the Imam cemetery and humble 17th Century gravestones are a witness to the rich heritage of the Bayan Beleq Muslim community.