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Mosque building developed early on in maritime Southeast Asia, leaving behind a heritage that has mostly escaped Islamic art and architecture surveys. Architectural variations of mosques in Southeast Asia are greater than usually thought, and wood is not the only material used to build mosques. In Java, Sumatra and Southern Palembang alone, this great diversity is seen from the various forms, numbers, and functions of roofs, walls and platforms. Despite these variations, some permanent architectural features, possibly inherited from the Hindu-Buddhist period, can be found throughout the region. The rich typology of mosques in Southeast Asia bears witness to trans-local circulations and the recombination of knowledge.