The 16th-century mosque was one of the few surviving remnants of what used to be the port city of Banten, the most prosperous trading center in the Indonesian archipelago after the fall of Demak Sultanate in mid-16th century.

[4] Around similar period the Dutch-styled tiyamah was added to the mosque following the design of Hendrik Lucaasz Cardeel, a Dutchman who was converted to Islam.

[3] The design elements of the Great Mosque of Banten have religious and cultural influences from Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Chinese and the Dutch.

This building, known as the tiyamah, was erected at the order of Sultan Haji of Banten and designed by a Dutchman, Hendrik Lucaasz Cardeel.

Cardeel converted to Islam, became a member of the Banten court with the title Pangeran Wiraguna, and designed this building which now stands on the southwest side of the Great Mosque.

The three uppermost tier is arranged rather uniquely, appearing more like a Chinese pagoda than the regular multi-tiered roof of Javanese architecture.

The circular shape and form of the detailed lotus motif at the top and bottom of each column comes from a Chinese cultural approach, which has Buddhist influence.

[citation needed] Additionally, it has been found that this detailed lotus motif is compatible with the Buddhist mediation layers, known as the sixty levels.

The tiyamah building served as a space for social gatherings while the cemetery remained a cultural tradition that housed the graves of royalty.

Many visitors of the Great Mosque complex were there with the intention of visiting the tombs and graves of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin and his family members.

The variety and coexistence of architectural forms that reference cultural exchanges with other religious including Buddhism and Hinduism seen in the Great Mosque of Banten are meant to symbolize this convergence.