Arab Quarter

Overview

Ampel mosque and graveyard is an ancient religious quarter built in 1421 by Sunan Ampel, one of the guardians who brought Islam to Java after the fall of the Majapahit empire. After his passing in 1481, his tomb was placed behind the mosque to honour him. Surrounding the mosque are bustling street shops selling goods such as dates, traditional malay clothing and perfumes. The building architecture of the mosque was derived from Arab roots.

Learning points

Firstly, we learnt to be respectful and responsible tourists. Ampel Mosque is a religious site and it is important for us to respect their culture and practices. Therefore, we wore modest clothing. Additionally, Ampel mosque is a place of worship for many devotees, the pathways leading up to the mosque are narrow and jam packed with devotees. Hence, we should remain self-aware of our surroundings and be mindful of our behaviour when we visit cultural sites and places of worship.

Furthermore, we were introduced to the historical significance of the haj. Every muslim aims to go to mekkah and complete the haj at least once in their lifetime. Haj is a grueling pilgrimage process that requires a large sum of money and the individual to travel to Saudi Arabia. Muslims believe that Haj brings them closer to god and united as a Muslim community. Muslims who are unable to afford the large sum of money needed to go to haj opt for going to holy sites nearby such as Ampel Mosque as a pre-haj.

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