VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

When visiting a religious tourism destination in Semarang, Central Java, there is a Layur mosque which is worth visiting. The mosque with the green color is one of Semarang’s religious heritages. The Layur Mosque was built in 1802 AD and is located in the area of Melayu Town, precisely on Layur street, Dadapsari Village. The mosque building has a land area of about 270 m². Visiting the Layur mosque, you can pray solemnly in the mosque or relax in the shady courtyard of the mosque.

The Layur Mosque was built by some merchants from Yemen who at that time lived in Semarang city. This mosque is also known as the Mosque of Melayu Town, because it has a very tall tower. Formerly, the tower of this mosque was used as a lighthouse. Its function was to monitor the traffic of ships and large boats which crossed the Semarang River, when the Semarang port was still in the "Kleine Boom", around Sleko-Berok Bridge. Over time, the lighthouse building in Layur Mosque was converted into a tower and mosque by local residents.

Layur Mosque is an ancient mosque with architecture that combines Arabic, Malay and traditional Javanese cultures. The characteristics of Arab-Malay culture can be seen from the tower and the dome-shaped gates. Meanwhile, the traditional Javanese style can be seen from the mosque's roof which is shaped like three roofs supported by teakwood pillars. Interestingly, in this Mosque there is a belief still held by local communities. Only male worshippers can enter and pray at this mosque.