Penyengat Island
Pulau Penyengat
A small island across from Tanjungpinang that was the royal residence of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate. It is known for the yellow-green Sultan Riau Grand Mosque, said to have been built with egg whites mixed into its mortar.
Penyengat Island covers less than 3.5 square km and is about 15 minutes by boat from Tanjungpinang port. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was the royal and religious center of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, and it was also an important birthplace of Malay literature, the forerunner of modern Indonesian. The poet Raja Ali Haji wrote his Malay grammar here. The most striking landmark is the Sultan Riau Grand Mosque (Masjid Raya Sultan Riau), built in 1832, with yellow-green walls, a green dome and minarets. Legend says egg whites were mixed with lime as the binding agent during construction. The mosque holds a handwritten copy of the Quran. Other sights include the royal cemetery, palace ruins, a gunpowder magazine and gun batteries, and a half-day island tour by electric three-wheeler (bentor) takes about an hour. Getting there: small wooden boats (pompong) run from the Sri Bintan Pura terminal in Tanjungpinang, cost very little, and depart when full. Note: visitors entering the mosque must wear long trousers or a long skirt, and women must cover their hair (headscarves are available at the entrance). Avoid entering during prayer times. Food options on the island are simple.
Opening hours
Open outside prayer times, approx. 08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Senggarang Chinese Village & Temples
- Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alamsyah Museum
- Tanjungpinang Old Town
- Vihara Avalokitesvara Graha
- Vihara Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (500 Lohan Temple)
- Blue Lake & Busung Sand Dunes
- Mount Bintan
- Sebung River Mangrove Tour