Abu also said the renovation, which was carried out in accordance with the directive from President Joko Widodo and supervised by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), continued to prioritize green space in the mosque environment. During the renovation, the government and Istiqlal administrators did not only prune the plants, but also added more trees and green spaces.
“The aim is that after the mosque is renovated it does not lose its appeal. So, the green area is maintained, that is what the concept strongly advocates. No trees were cut down, instead we added more plants,” explained Abu.
Not only that, the Istiqlal Mosque also turned several areas around the mosque into a garden. Abu said that this was done to realize the wishes and needs of the community for green open spaces.
“The mosque is getting greener and cooler. Now people want to take pictures, that’s great. What is it called? Instagramable, yes that is the term,” said Abu chuckling.
Various efforts made by the mosque located on Juanda Street, Central Jakarta, are part of its commitment to mitigate the climate crisis through green, sustainable building.
However, Abu said that efforts to maintain the mosque cannot only be carried out by mosque administrators. He said the community also need to actively participate by keeping it clean and preserve its beauty.
“If everything is left to the management, we also have out limit. So, it is important that the community actively participates in maintaining the cleanliness, comfort, order, and neatness of Istiqlal Mosque. Because if not us, who else would do it?” concluded Abu. (Ummamah Nisa)