Al-Akbar National Mosque Surabaya

Unclaimed

A bit of out of the way from the centre of the city, but very much worth making the effort to visit. Indonesia' second largest mosque is a stunning building, completed in 2000. As a non-Muslim you're not able to enter inside the main space but can see everything from the open doors, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. For 10k IRD you can take an elevator up the 99m high minaret for great views of the city.

There is a lot of space inside the mosque and also outside. Very clean inside the mosque and the compound outside. The caretaker is also very friendly and helpful. It's very relaxing when you're here.

The architecture is really impressive. It’s also a great chance for non- Muslim to learn more about Islamic culture.

We timed our visit so it wasn't during prayer times, so I am not sure what that experience would be like or if we would have been permitted. Beautiful mosque with friendly staff and very welcoming to tourists and non-Muslims. Just make sure you have socks (the concrete outside is SCORCHING HOT and you must remove your shoes) and the proper covering for legs and shoulders. The staff there approached us to answer questions and tell us about the mosque and were very friendly and spoke excellent English. It is out of the way from the other attractions in the city, so make sure you allocate time for driving.

One of the mosques that is the pride of the people of East Java, the location is easy to reach, located next to the toll road, there is a large paid parking area, making it easy for visitors to access the mosque and other facilities in the Al Akbar mosque complex.