According to the mosque’s grand imam, Istiqlal is second only in size to Mecca and Medina, and its influence extends to Indonesia’s roughly 242 million Muslims.

Nasaruddin Umar, grand imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, kisses Pope Francis on the top of the head at the conclusion of an interreligious meeting Sept. 5, 2024.

In a historic encounter at Asia's largest mosque, Pope Francis and Indonesia's grand imam Nasaruddin Umar signed a joint declaration on Sept. 5 calling on religious leaders to deepen their ...

Muslim men attend Friday prayer at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, where Pope Francis is scheduled to hold an interfaith meeting on Sept. 5.

The Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar, right, listen to Pope Francis, after signing the "Joint Declaration of Istiqlal 2024" at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

Muslim men attend Friday prayer at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, where Pope Francis is scheduled to hold an interfaith meeting on Sept. 5. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) ...

Pope Francis will visit Indonesia's iconic Istiqlal mosque where he will hold an interfaith meeting with representatives of the country's six officially recognized religions as the populous Southeast ...

SOLO, Indonesia, 7th June, 2025 (WAM) – The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Solo, Indonesia, has implemented the "Eid Al-Adha Joy Project" with funding from the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ...

Istiqlal mosque’s Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar told The Associated Press that Francis choosing Indonesia as the first stop of his Asian visit makes “the Muslim community proud.” ...

SOLO, 18th March, 2025 (WAM) -- Since the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo, Indonesia, has been hosting between 12,000 and 15,000 guests daily as part ...

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — When Pope Francis begins his Asia tour next week, one of his early stops will be at Indonesia’s iconic Istiqlal mosque. The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church ...

Pope Francis, Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar and other religious leaders at the interreligious meeting on the grounds of Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept. 5, 2024. | Credit: Daniel ...