The Jami Mosque is the oldest mosque in Pontianak, built in 1771 beside the sultan's palace on the south bank of the Kapuas. The architecture is distinctively Malay rather than Arab: the multi-tiered timber roof rises in diminishing stages without a dome, and the structure is built on piles over the river. It is one of the best examples of Malay mosque architecture in Indonesian Borneo.
Non-Muslims can enter the grounds and photograph the exterior, but the prayer hall is closed to visitors during prayer times. The mosque is busiest on Friday around midday. The setting beside the river, with the wooden palace next door and boats moving on the water, is particularly photogenic in the early morning or late afternoon light.