Raya Mosque

Raya Mosque, situated on Penyengant Island is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Tanjung Pinang. It was built back in 1844 at the time when wife of the Riau ruler, Sultan Mahmudsyah lived here. The other name for this masjid is Grand Mosque of Riau Sultan.

Initially, the mosque was a small wooden structure with brick floors. The Sultan invited the people to help in building a bigger mosque. Some believe that due to the abundance of eggs, out of which only yolks were consumed as food, the egg whites were used as a binding material mixed with sand and limestone to build the mosque. The walls of Raya Mosque have stood the test of times and the place is flocked by many visitors.

Get In

Hang Nadim International Airport is the main entry point for visiting Kepulauan Riau province. The other way in is through Port Sri Bintan Pura, in Tanjung Pinang. Many vessels are docked here for travelling to Malaysia and Singapore. From here, small boats known as Pompong, take 20 minutes to reach Penyengat Island.

Get Around

There are no cars on the Penyengat Island. For getting around this place, tourists can rent bikes or travel by Becak Motor, a three-wheeled vehicle.

About Penyengat Island

This place was an important cultural and administrative centre in the past. It was the seat of the Malayan Kingdom. The royal residential structures, tombs and palaces speak of its grandeur. The grave of Sultan Haji, author of the first Malay Language grammar book, is also situated here.