Istiqlal Mosque, Sarajevo

Istiqlal Mosque is situated in Otoka, Sarajevo. It is one of the most significant and one of the  largest mosques in the city. 

Initially, it was named  Jakarta, as the national mosque of Indonesia. This beauitful mosque was the gift, from Indonesian people as well as  government, for our country to represent a friendship between these two nations.

The name "istiqlal" is from the Arabic origin, meaning "independence". Thus, it is also representing the independence of Bosnia. 

So, during the visit of Indonesian President Suharto  to the city of Sarajevo, in March 1995 he paid a call to our former President Alija Izetbegovic  he was meditating an idea to built a mosque in the city as a gift for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

To realize the idea, he involved his administrations, and designating Fauzan Noe’man, as one of the Indonesia's famous architect, to design the mosque. He was known for his works in constructing grand mosque of Batam, Baiturrahim mosque in Merdeka Palace complex. 

The project is started in 1995 and the mosque was completed in September 2001.