Sacred Spatiality in Ta’alluq Martabat Architecture: The Great Mosque of the Buton Sultanate

Abstract

This study examines the layout of the Great Mosque of the Buton Sultanate (TGMBS). It focuses on its religious and cultural background. Most studies on Nusantara mosques focus on their types and symbols. However, they pay less attention to how spatial arrangements shape religious experiences. This study uses a qualitative phenomenological approach. It includes one year of fieldwork in Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi. The research involved interviews with eight people. It also examined architecture and analyzed religious texts and rituals. The findings show that the mosque's layout, direction, and movement patterns are well planned. They link to deeper meanings from Sufi cosmology. This includes the Seven Grades of Existence and the Twenty Divine Attributes. TGMBS is more than just a historical monument. It serves as a lively religious space. The layout helps shape how the congregation practices its faith. This study takes an interpretative look at sacred spaces in Nusantara Mosque architecture. It examines the links between cosmology, spatial order, and religious practices in Islamic architecture across Southeast Asia.