Beside the less-known fact of Java as the most populated island on earth (with 151,6 million inhabitants in 2020), not many people know the rich history of its civilization.
Today I visited the shrine (tomb) of Maulana Ibrohim Asmoroqondi, one of the earliest preachers of Islam in Java, Indonesia. Coming from Samarkand, Uzbekistan in the end of 14th century, Asmoroqondi was regarded as an awliya’ (saint) by Javanese people.
After marrying the Princess of Champa kingdom, Vietnam, Asmoroqondi started his journey in Indonesian archipelago to preach Islam. He chose northern coasts of Java island as his preaching location.
Now after six centuries, we can still find his legacy. Today thousands of pilgrims visit his grave/shrine every day, especially in weekends and long vacations. His shrine is located at Tuban, in East Java province.
One of the most interesting thing is the architecture of this shrine which still accomodates Hindu temple style. It proves the nice acculturation and assimilation process of Javanese people in every chapter of their civilization history.
Rasyid
Jombang, East Java- Indonesia