Why were so many of the Mosques in Aceh Indonesia left standing when all of the buildings that surrounded them were obliterated by the 2004 tsunami?

Answer 1

This was a question I heard asked by many foreign NGO volunteers following the disaster. I have my own hypothesis, but welcome other ideas as this might prompt safer building strategies for a region that remains at serious risk.

• Mosques are built stronger than almost any other public building, similar to public schools in the US that are often designated as community shelter points. It is important to understand the cultural as well as the religious significance of Mosques in Aceh; I came to realize that their Mosques were a lot more than just a place of worship. The Mosques had many functions from teaching, to community center, to place of refuge. Their powerful speakers alerted people to danger; after disaster struck, food, Medical care and many of the practical necessities of survival focused on the Mosques for distribution.
• The Mosque interiors are open spaces without large, heavy furnishings that could become dangerous projectiles to be forcefully hurled through a back wall propelled by a tsunami wave.
• The most unusual theory is what I call: "The Mecca Alignment." The Mosques were built to face Mecca so in Aceh on the Northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia that meant that they were aligned on an angle with the coastline. The Mosques in this particular location presented a corner rather than a front façade to the ocean and the oncoming tsunami wave. The full force of this destructive wave was divided to flow down either side of the Mosque rather than blasting into the front of the building where it might have caused greater damage. Is this a valid point? If it is, then other buildings including new homes could be built to face the ocean at an angle making them less vulnerable to a tsunami wave at some point in the future.

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Ok that sounds all good but u cant deny the miracle in what uve said?????

Why Mekka? Why were Muslims told to face it?Whats the significance behind that? Allah told us to face it n build places of worship 2 face it so it shows how Allah knows all. Why have a place of worship that crumbles easy each time Allah sends a natural force 2 show His power. Its funny how these people of the past seemed so advanced their buildings survived so much sooooooooooo many years later??

Its a miracle that's it simple. Allah will continue 2 show His existence 2 mankind its u lot that try ur hardest in tryin 2 prove its source. Its all guess work. Sometimes humans should admit they don't have all answers 2 everything. They never will. only Allah SWT

If you are so sure that the structural and architectural aspects of the mosque have prevented this mosque from leveling with the ground, then how would you explain the minaret that stood so tall? Dont you think that the tsunami deffinetly would have destroyed the minaret? This surely is a sign from ALLAH!