Mosque and temple side by side
A symbol of coexistence.
Cun Cun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cun Cun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cun Cun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cun Cun — CC BY-SA 4.0
In the heart of old Muntok, Bangka's first capital and historic tin port, stands the Muntok Jamik Mosque, built in the 1880s, and right beside it an older Chinese temple, a scene that has become a symbol of coexistence between the island's Malay Muslim and Chinese communities for more than a century. The mosque is an elegant white building blending Malay and European styles, with columns, arches and tall windows, and the Chinese community is said to have helped build it. The neighbouring temple has a curving red roof and guardian statues. Only a small wall separates the two. The mosque serves daily prayers; entry to both is free, and the mosque welcomes visitors outside prayer times in modest dress. Muntok is about three hours from Pangkal Pinang, so combine the mosque with the Menumbing guesthouse, the Tanjung Kalian lighthouse and the tin museum on a day trip to the old town.
A symbol of coexistence.
Columns and arches.
Bangka's first capital.
Old central Muntok, west Bangka
The two communities grew up together in the tin town and shared the same quarter; the Chinese are said to have helped build the mosque, so the pairing bears witness to a long neighbourly bond.