[8] Several locations were proposed; Mohammad Hatta, Indonesian vice president, suggested that the mosque should be built near residential areas on Thamrin avenue, on a plot where Hotel Indonesia stands today.

[10] Sukarno also insisted that the national mosque should be built near Jakarta Cathedral and Immanuel Church, to symbolize religious harmony and tolerance as promoted in Pancasila.

[11] It was later decided that the national mosque was going to be built in Taman Widjaja Kusuma (formerly Wilhelmina park), in front of the Jakarta Cathedral.

[17][18]: 65 On Friday night, 14 April 1978, a bomb made of plastic explosive was set off near the mimbar in Istiqlal Mosque.

[19] More than 20 years later, on 19 April 1999, a second bomb attack took place in the basement of the mosque, breaking the glass of the office rooms.

Works included: polishing and cleaning the marble exterior and stainless steel geometric ornamentation, a new mihrab and mimbar, upgrading electrical and plumbing systems, new lighting system using LED lamps, renovation of VIP rooms, new gates and improvements of garden, park and plaza, new kiosk for vendors, and a two storied basement parking space.

[21] A tunnel connecting Istiqlal Mosque and St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral has been constructed by the Indonesian authorities.

Below are lists of entrance gates into the complex of Istiqlal Mosque:[citation needed] The rectangular main prayer hall building is covered by a 45-m diameter central spherical dome; the number "45" symbolizes the 1945 Proclamation of Indonesian Independence.

[15][27] The main dome is adorned with a stainless steel ornamental pinnacle in the form of a crescent and star, the symbol of Islam.

The smaller secondary dome is also adorned with a stainless steel pinnacle with the name of Allah (God) in Islamic calligraphy.

[citation needed] The dome is supported by twelve round columns, and the prayer hall is surrounded by rectangular piers carrying four levels of balconies.

The main hall is reached through an entrance covered by a dome 8 meters in diameter; the number 8 symbolizes August, the month of Indonesian Independence.

[34] In common with the entire Islamic world, traditionally Muslims in Indonesia use the drum with the adhan (call to prayer).

In response, former president Suharto began an initiative to construct more mosques of the Javanese triple-roofed design.

[citation needed] In the southwestern corner of the garden surrounding the mosque, there is a large pool and a grand fountain that spouts water 45 m (148 ft) high.

[37] Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar has led efforts to make the mosque more environmentally friendly, including installing solar panels, using slow-flow faucets, and implementing a water recycling system.

As of 2016[update], the Grand Imam is the former Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs (2011–2014), Nasaruddin Umar and the Chairman of Istiqlal Mosque is the former Indonesian Ambassador to Syria (2006–2010), Muhammad Muzammil Basyuni.