If there is a place that you must visit when you visit Banda Aceh, it is the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque. This is a historical site that has existed since the glorious era of the Aceh Sultanate and has survived to this day. This mosque has gone through various things, starting from the burning tragedy by the Dutch colonial in 1873 to the tsunami hit in late 2004.

Baiturrahman Grand Mosque was first built in the era of the Aceh Sultanate. The roof of the mosque was made in accordance with the characteristics of mosques in Indonesia at that time, a four-tiered pyramid roof.

There are two historical versions of the history of the construction of this mosque. Some sources say this mosque was founded in 1292 AD by Sultan Alauddin Johan Mahmudsyah. Meanwhile, another source said the mosque was founded by Sultan Iskandar Muda in 1612 AD

In its journey, this mosque was burned down by the Dutch during an attack on Koetaradja (Banda Aceh) on April 10, 1873. The collapse of the mosque building triggered an outbreak of resistance from the Acehnese people. They struggle to defend the mosque until the blood is gone. During the battle, the Dutch lost their commander, Major General Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler on April 14, 1873.

The mosque building was rebuilt by the Dutch at the behest of General Van Der Heijden. The rebuilding of the mosque was part of an effort to ease the resistance of the Acehnese towards the Dutch occupation. The process of rebuilding Majid Raya Baiturrahman took place in 1879-1881 AD The new building architecture was created by de Bruchi who adapted the Moghul (Indian) style.