Lombok is known as the Island of a Thousand Mosques. The majority of its people are Muslim, and almost every village on the island has a mosque of its own, which makes Lombok a natural place for a religious heritage trip.
One of those destinations is the ancient mosque of Gunung Pujut. It is one of the historic mosques tied to the spread of Islam on Lombok, built by Pangeran Sange Pati, a king of the Pujut kingdom, in 1008 AD. A stop like this can be worked into a Lombok tour package on request.
What makes the mosque unusual is where it stands: right on the top of a hill in Sengkol village, Pujut district, Central Lombok Regency. The building measures 8.6 x 8.6 m. It was put together with bamboo fencing and a roof of thatched reeds, resting on four main pillars. Another 28 supporting posts hold the bamboo walls in place.
Inside sits a bedug, the large drum once used to mark prayer times for people living nearby. The old mimbar (pulpit) that the khatib stood on to deliver his sermons is still there too. The mosque is no longer used for worship, which is why it is classified as a dead monument. If you want to see it for yourself, it is only about a 20-minute drive from Lombok International Airport.
