The building was designed by P.A.J. Moojen, who was a prominent Dutch architect responsible for several landmark buildings in Jakarta during the colonial period.
The site functioned as the office for the first municipal planning agency of Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) in the early 1900s.
The mosque features asymmetrical floor plans and structural elements inconsistent with traditional mosque architecture due to its original design as a commercial office building.
The building was officially inaugurated as a mosque in 1987 by the Governor of Jakarta, Ali Sadikin.
It is one of the few historical buildings in Jakarta that successfully underwent a complete functional shift from a colonial government office to a religious site.
Masjid Cut Meutia is a functional mosque housed in a historic building originally constructed in 1912 by the Dutch architect P.A.J. Moojen. The structure initially served as the headquarters for the Dutch property development company N.V. Bouwploeg and later functioned as the Office of the Department of Agriculture. Following its transition to a house of worship in the late 1980s, the building retained its distinct Northern European Art Nouveau architectural influence, which is rare for mosques in Indonesia. The interior features a unique open-plan layout without the traditional central dome, a necessity of its repurposed structural design. It is located in the Menteng area, a district known for its preservation of colonial-era villas and greenery. The mosque is managed by the Cut Meutia Mosque Foundation, which organizes community programs and educational activities. Its exterior walls and high windows reflect the early 20th-century aesthetic of the city's Weltevreden district.
The front facade, which highlights the unique Dutch Art Nouveau gables and window frames.
Visit during the late afternoon to experience the play of light through the large colonial-era windows.
Respect the active prayer cycles by avoiding high-traffic areas if you are visiting purely for architectural observation.
Avoid visiting during Friday congregational prayer times when the mosque is at maximum capacity.
Visitors must dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees; women are encouraged to wear a headscarf inside the prayer hall; remove footwear before entering the carpeted sections.
