Journal of Design and the Built Environment (Dec 2012)
The influence of 19th century Dutch Colonial Orientalism in spreading Kubah (Islamic Dome) and Middle-Eastern architectural styles for mosques in Sumatra
Abstract
This paper researches the possible representation of Orientalism and the spread of Middle Eastern inspired architecture in Indonesia, particularly in Dutch colonial practices in the 19th-century. It challenges the dominant opinion of the people that the Middle Eastern merchants in the East Indies were the only ones that introduced the use of kubah (dome) shape to mosque architecture in Indonesia. Consequently, this paper has two objectives: firstly, by looking at the historical relationship between religious architecture and colonial politics, especially in the construction of the Baiturrahman Mosque in Aceh and secondly, by considering Orientalism (besides those beliefs existing in Moslem communities) to be one of important intellectual agencies for mixing architectural cultural symbols. The socio-political narrative is analyzed in the context of an Indonesian-Islamic building typology and the relationship between space, people, power, and time. The research itself is based on literature searches specifically related to colonialism and orientalism, along with archive studies and field investigations, including interviews with related historical experts. In order to replace 'non-architectural' traditional roofs, which were considered as representing a less-developed civilization, Dutch political interests were instrumental in bringing the universally-styled Middle Eastern architectural elements into mosque architecture of the Netherland Indies. This political motivation ultimately led to the spread of kubah (dome) as an architectonic element in Indonesian mosque architecture throughout the archipelago, specifically in Sumatra.
