6 religious tourist attractions in the Riau Islands
Did you know that religious tourist attractions in the Riau Islands Province (Kepri) are not only Penyengat Island in Tanjungpinang City. Several other areas in this province also have superior destinations. Currently, the Riau Islands Provincial Government is revitalizing a number of public facilities and cultural heritage sites to make Penyengat Island a leading religious tourism destination. The revitalization is not limited to physical development, but also the preservation of Malay culture and history on the island.
The Governor of Riau Islands, Ansar Ahmad, is optimistic that this revitalization will attract more tourist visits to religious tourism destinations and improve the economy of the local community. “The Riau Islands Provincial Government has committed to beautifying Penyengat Island so that it becomes a leading religious and cultural tourism destination,” he said.
Apart from Penyengat Island, the Riau Islands Province (Kepri) also has a number of religious tourism destinations in various regions, here is a review:
1. Penyengat Island
“You haven’t been to Tanjungpinang if you haven’t been to Penyengat Island,” is a term that has developed in society.
This small island in the capital of Riau Islands Province holds many historical sites from the time of the Malay Kingdom of Johor-Pahang-Lingga-Riau in the 1900s. Penyengat Island is also famous for the origins of the Indonesian language and the island where Raja Ali Haji composed the poem Gurindam 12.
This island, which was originally a wedding gift from Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah to Engku Putri, has no less than 46 cultural heritage sites. These sites range from the Riau Sultan Mosque, Indera Perkasa Traditional Hall, Office Palace, Gunpowder Warehouse, Bukit Kursi Fort, Engku Putri Raja Hamidah’s Tomb, to National Hero Raja Ali Haji.
In its development, Penyengat Island has become one of the religious and cultural tourism destinations in the Riau Islands. Almost every day, especially weekends, this island is often visited by domestic and foreign tourists.
2. Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah Mosque
The Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah Mosque or known as the Great Mosque II Batam is a mosque located on Jalan Brigjen Katamso, Tanjunguncang Village, Batuaji District, Batam City. This mosque, which adopts the model of the Nabawi Mosque in Medina, has Arabic and Malay nuanced architecture. The Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah Mosque is the largest mosque in the Riau Islands Province (Kepri) which stands on an area of 57,144 square meters with a building area of 41,442 square meters.
The mosque, which was built from 2017 to 2019, consists of two floors and has a capacity of up to 25 thousand worshipers. The color is dominantly white, has a majestic tower 99 meters high and 8 membrane umbrellas 17 meters high with a span of 25 meters. Apart from that, there are also 4 small domes, 4 carrying domes, and 1 large main dome.
The ablution area is spacious, there is also an office room, a priest’s room and a religious room which can be used as a meeting facility. 3. Jabal Arafah Mosque The Jabal Arafah Mosque has a beautiful and comfortable building, located in the hills of the Nagoya area, the business and shopping center of Batam.
The location is between the shopping area Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall and Thamrin City Batam. This four-story mosque has a roof-garden and artistic lighting. The Jabal Arafah Mosque has been operating since July 13 2012. Apart from being a place of worship for Muslims, this mosque also functions as an education center, Islamic transmission and religious tourism destination for travelers who come to Batam.
There are various facilities at the Jabal Arafah Mosque, ranging from parks, cafes, souvenir shops and ornamental fish ponds. There is also a library with thousands of book collections, several computer units, free internet access, and an auditorium.
For those of you who want to enjoy the sunset or the beautiful atmosphere of Batam City from a height, you can take the elevator to the 36 meter high tower. Here everything is see-through and transparent, viewing binoculars are available to see the panorama of Batam and the skylines of Singapore and Malaysia.
4. St Peter’s Church
St Peter’s Church, one of the religious tourist attractions in Batam. St Peter’s Church is the first church in Batam, has beautiful architecture which is an attraction for tourists. This church with luxurious European-style architecture stands majestically in the Baloi Hill area, Batam City.
St. Peter’s Church is dominant in brown and cream colors, built by migrants from Flores from 1956 to 1959 under the name Kapela Santa Maria. Having experienced eviction in 1969, the Santa Maria Chapel was then rebuilt in 1971 in Jodoh. From Jodoh, the Santa Maria Chapel moved again to Baloi Hill and changed its name to St Peter’s Church which was inaugurated on May 10 2009. Apart from having an attractive beautiful building, this church also provides facilities for the congregation to worship and pray.
5. Maitreya Ambassador Temple
This monastery, which is located on the Panas River, Batam City, is not only the largest place of worship for Buddhists in the Riau Islands Province (Kepri), but also in Indonesia and throughout Southeast Asia. Apart from being a place of worship, Vihara Duta Maitreya also has a beautiful garden and a comfortable place to meditate.
In this monastery with a capacity of up to 6,000 people, there are three large houses consisting of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Graha, the Sakyamuni Buddha Graha, and the Satyakalama Bodhisattva Graha. This monastery, which was founded in 1991 on 4 hectares of land, has carved images and stories of Buddha and Bodhisattvas on the outer walls of the altar. There are also schools ranging from kindergarten to college, a canteen that serves vegetarian culinary delights, and a souvenir shop.
6. Tua Pek Kong Temple
Tua Pek Kong Temple or Tua Pek Kong Bio, also known as the Budhi Bhakti Vihara, is located in the Windsor area, Nagoya, Lubuk Baja District, Batam City. This oldest temple in Batam was founded on September 19 1986 on an area of 650 square meters.
In this temple with Chinese architecture, there is a main prayer area decorated with statues of gods. There are also lanterns hanging from the ceiling which are predominantly red, a garden with various statues of gods, and a vegetarian stall. Tua Pek Kong Temple is still a place of prayer for its people and a center for religious celebrations. There are two main buildings in this temple, namely at the front and the main room on the inside.
Those are six religious tourism destinations in the Riau Islands (Kepri) that you can visit.
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