Tucked underground at the Taman Sari Water Castle was a mosque accessible only in the past by a maze of underwater passageways. I first heard of its existence from my friend Gaye Emami a few days before I left Manila for Jakarta. The moment she described it, I was instantly fascinated. I told myself I must never leave Yogyakarta without seeing that mosque. The place was not easy to find as there were no signs saying "Underground Mosque this way". Following a hunch, I followed a group of young Indonesian students who seemed to be on a field trip as they trudged through the back alleyways of Taman Sari. I saw them debating which direction to take, so I reckoned they were also trying to find the mosque. I tried asking a local, but unfortunately, she could not understand English, so I chased the group of students as they entered a small arched hallway. Inside, we had to duck our heads so as not to hit the ceiling, and after a short length of striding and bending forward, we met a dead-end wall.
The Mosque Beneath the Ground of Taman Sari, Yogyakarta
The students laughed at our predicament. Lost and with no translation, I smiled at them as we all shook our heads at the reality of getting lost. When we backtracked our way, one of them finally asked a local for directions. At that point, I was still unsure if they were also looking for the way to the underground mosque. The man pointed to an inconspicuous stairway leading to a tiny door. Following the young ones, we all alighted into a dome-shaped room with windows and doors heading to a series of staircases. It felt like being in an otherworldly place where each stairwell took you to another mysterious universe.
Sumur Gumuling: The Coiled Well
The mosque was not as spacious compared to others. What it lacked in floor space, it made up for with a unique architecture pattern that created an illusion of an endless loop. The circular hallway opened to the platform where one could find an intertwining series of staircases that went down to a dried-up well. Back in the eighteenth century, as fresh water streamed through it, the faithful went there to dip their feet before praying.
Otherwise known as "Sumur Gumuling" or the "Coiled Well", the ascending four flights of stairwells of the underground mosque would surely remind anyone familiar with MC Escher’s Relativity. Those staircases all met on a squared central platform that was exposed to the sky. It was there where most visitors took the brochure-like images of the underground mosque.
Geometric Devotion and Meditation
I overheard a tour guide telling his Caucasian guests that the mosque was often used as a meditation place. He also pointed out the mihrab, a small semi-rounded niche found on the walls of mosques that guided Muslims toward the Kaaba Mecca—a direction worshipers should face when saying their prayers.
It was great learning interesting things on the fly just by opening my eyes and eavesdropping. I sat near one of the windows and rested for a while as I kept an observing eye on other people. I could see their amazement at the absorbing architecture of that underground mosque, as the others were busy taking Instagram pictures of themselves. Despite suddenly feeling thirsty, my mind and soul were being quenched by the stunning vibe of that heritage place.
The Underground Mosque was, for me, a more interesting place than the Taman Sari Water Castle complex. I was glad I found my way to that gem of a place. Walking back, I imagined a time when the mosque was still operational. I could imagine hearing the chants of prayers emanating underneath, and as the clouds danced in the sky, I could feel the spiritual yearnings of the faithful echoing as far as Mecca, awaiting each to be answered one by one.
