Apart from that, according to Abu, they never expected that the adjudication was carried out on large mosques in other parts of the world, such as Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. This made his even prouder and happier of Istiqlal Mosque’s achievement.
“Achieving this award is very difficult, because we were competing with many world-renowned mosques such as Masjidil Haram and the Nabawi Mosque in Saudi Arabia. Those mosques are so majestic,” he said.
Istiqlal Mosque has undergone several renovations based on the concept of an environmentally friendly green building. The lighting also adopts LED energy-saving lamps with an air conditioner system, either on the interior or exterior.
“The bulbs we are using are environmentally friendly. Using the latest technology, the light at the Istiqlal Mosque is adjusted to the external conditions. So if it’s dark outside, the lights will automatically turn on,” said Abu.
In addition, it also uses solar panels which is able to meet 13% of its electricity needs. Water savings were also implemented by replacing the ablution taps, the use of dual flush toilets, and energy-efficient sink faucets and urinals.
“We also collect the ablution water, process it and then use it to clean the bathroom, water the plants, and return the excess to the ground,” he explained.