CULTURAL, ARCHITECTURAL, ‘SENSE OF PLACE’ AND SUFISTIC BELIEFS IN MOSQUE TOURISM CASE STUDY: MASJID AR-RAHMAN, PULAU GAJAH, KELANTAN

Abstract

The mosque is a sacred important religious symbol for bringing Muslims together as demonstrated during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This paper investigates the potential of Masjid Ar-Rahman of Pulau Gajah, Kelantan as a spot for mosque tourism. Although this mosque was constructed in 2016, it has demonstrated simplicity in its scale and traditional image. It has the value of hybrid assimilation or Hindu-Buddhist syncretism and tolerance and coined as the Nusantara hybridized Malay and Javanese architectural styles. The typology of this humble Malay Mosque architecture is of medium-scale and reflects the Sufistic contextual value beliefs encouraging religious and architectural tourism alike. The conceptual framework capitalises the research gap found in mosque cultural, architectural and Sufistic beliefs research by further delving into constructing the ‘Sense of Place’ in relation to the ‘Sacred Places’. This research employs qualitative methods of interviewing visitors, applying phenomenological and case study approaches supported by architectural documentation in emphasising the symbolic and semiotic aesthetics aspects in constructing the ‘Sense of Place’ bonded by the Sufistic symbolic aesthetics. The theory is constructed in the deeply rooted Islamic Mosque architecture via Sufistic beliefs that provides platform for the mosque tourism activities.