On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake shook the Indian Ocean off the coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Lindu triggered a devastating tsunami that swept the coastal area in a number of countries. More than 230,000 people were killed, millions more lost shelter.
One of the most affected areas is Lhoknga, near by Banda Aceh city
The city is almost flat with the ground. But the magic happens, a mosque building stands firmly in the midst of destruction. Some believe that the divine power saved the Rahmatullah Mosque.
This mosque witnessed how the awful wave of tsunami wave that devastated Aceh, in 2004 ago.
Before the tsunami, the village was inhabited by about 6,000 people, mostly from middle to upper class.
Residents in this settlement are majority of PT Semen Andalas Indonesia employees. In addition, there are also fishermen, farmers and residents from various other professional backgrounds.
When the tsunami occurred, the mosque which is only 500 meters from the beach is the only remaining building. Although some sides of the mosque buildings are damaged, most remain intact and survived.
The miracle was also caught by the United States Space Agency (NASA) satellite. Photos of Lhoknga from outer space show a white circular feature. It is a mosque that survives and stands firmly in the midst of all destruction.
One of the residents, named Syahrizal bin Razali, told how the seconds of the tsunami when he was in front of the mosque Rahmatullah.
"They shouted the rising sea water, the sea water up .. Run ... run ...," said Syahrizal describes the panic of the people at that time.
Syahrizal and a number of pilgrims who gathered in front of the mosque could not believe the cries of residents who ran from the west. It was only after seeing the great waves of seawater that came rolling toward the mosque, Syahrizal and other pilgrims ran away to escape.
But too late, the rate of sea water faster than the steps of the villagers
