An Nurumi Mosque

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An Nurumi Mosque goes by

many names and is recognized all around Yogyakarta. Some call it the “Candy Mosque,” because of its colorful domed spires that resemble lollipops. However, it is best known as the Mosque of the Kremlin.

Inspired by St. Basil’s Cathedral, which many people confuse with the Kremlin, the small mosque is similar to its cousin to the Northwest, but just a shade off. Like the misnomer in calling it the Mosque of the Kremlin, An Nurumi Mosque seems like a replica with a little less pizzaz than St. Basil’s. It is much smaller, and doesn’t even come close to the prominence of Russia’s Cathedral, centered on Red Square. In fact, a well-trafficked street allows cars to zoom past the place of worship with little reverence.

Despite its drawbacks, An Nurumi is beautiful in its own right, and its off-shade light blues and pinks give the Mosque an Indonesian flair that it flaunts over the competition in Moscow.