Cheng Ho Mosque

Cheng Ho Mosque Masjid Cheng Hoo Sriwijaya Palembang
Gateaway to the mosque
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Location
Location	Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Architecture
Type	Mosque
Style	Chinese
Completed	2006
Construction cost	150 million rupiah

3°01′28″S 104°46′40″E / 3.0244508°S 104.7778827°E / -3.0244508; 104.7778827

Zheng He Mosque, officially the Islamic Mosque of Mohammed Zheng He in Srivijayan Palembang (Indonesian: Masjid Al-Islamiyyah Muhammad Cheng Ho Sriwijaya Palembang), is a mosque dedicated to Muslim Chinese people located in Jakabaring Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The name of the mosque is in honor of the acclaimed Muslim Chinese admiral, Zheng He. The mosque was founded by the initiative of the elders, advisers, and administrators of the Chinese Islamic Association of Indonesia (PITI) of South Sumatra, as well as Chinese community leaders around Palembang. Previously the mosque was led by renowned imam, Ustadz Choirul Rizal, who had memorized 30 juz' from the Quran. Ustadz Miftah who serves as an imam today, is also a hafiz.^[1][2]

The mosque was built with a combination of architectural elements from China, Malay, and Indonesian archipelago, complete with certain parts of the mosque such as imam's residence and surrounding fences. The mosque also serves as a place of free education of Islamic learning. Construction of the mosque begun with laying of the first stones in 2003, and ended with inauguration in 2006. The land was a grant from the local government, and the initial budget of the construction was around 150 million rupiah, gathered by the PITI community. Cheng Ho Mosque is considered a testament to cultural diversity and room for expressing those identities—Chinese and Islamic—in the context of Indonesian society.