99 World Mosque Miniatures to be built in Bogor

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BANDUNG -- Chairman of the Amanah Foundation Hartono Li Min will build an area for international religious tourism and an interaction center for Muslims in Bogor District, which will contain 99 miniature replicas of mosques from around the world.

"The aim is to preserve the culture of the Islamic world in the form of architecture. It is appropriate to build this region because our country has the largest Muslim population," Min said here on Tuesday after meeting with Governor of West Java Ahmad Heryawan.

Besides the mosques that will be constructed on his 215-hectare property, the tourist area will also be equipped with various other supporting facilities, he stated.

"Other facilities will be built later, such as a recreational place, a flagship university of Islam, a museum, an Islamic library, eateries and souvenirs from the countries where the mosques are located," he affirmed.

Apart from the 99 mosques, a grand mosque will also be constructed in the center of the area, which will be able to accommodate up to 200 thousand worshipers.

Furthermore, the funds needed to build the international religious tourism destination and the interaction center for Muslims is estimated to amount to more than Rp6 trillion, he noted, adding that the project is expected to be completed within four years.

"We hope the funds for the development project will be contributed by foreign investors such as Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. We have already started initial preparations, and government participation will be in the form of licensing," he remarked.


In addition, Governor of West Java Ahmad Heryawan pointed out that the religious region will offer a scenic tour of the mosques, which will not only refresh people's minds, but will also increase their devotion.