The minaret
Temple-like red brick, about 18 m.
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The Menara Kudus Mosque, officially Masjid Al-Aqsha Menara Kudus, is one of Indonesia's oldest mosques, in Kudus's old town, Central Java. An Arabic inscription above its mihrab dates it to 956 AH (1549) and names its founder, Ja'far Shadiq, known as Sunan Kudus, one of the Wali Songo, the nine saints credited with bringing Islam to Java. Mosque, minaret and tomb form a national heritage site. The inscription calls the mosque al-Aqsa and its land al-Quds, Jerusalem's Arabic name, which the town still bears; tradition adds that its first stone came from Jerusalem. Tradition also makes Sunan Kudus an imam of Demak's Great Mosque who reached out gently to local Hindus and Buddhists, and links that approach to the complex's Hindu-Javanese temple forms. The temple-like minaret, about 18 m of red brick laid without cement, is topped by a teak pavilion sheltering the bedug, a great drum sounded for prayer. Its date is debated: a Javanese chronogram on a beam gives the 1680s, perhaps for damage rather than building; some researchers prefer around 1600. Paired carved gateways, the Lawang Kembar, stand in the porch and prayer hall; the old ablution area has eight spouts with carved heads; and west of the mosque lies Sunan Kudus's tomb, never short of pilgrims. Kudus lies about 50 km east-north-east of central Semarang as the crow flies, one to two hours by road through Demak, whose Great Mosque, 24 km west-south-west, pairs easily with it. Coaches and many cars park at the Bakalankrapyak terminal, with licensed motorbike taxis on to the mosque. Allow 45 to 90 minutes.
Temple-like red brick, about 18 m.
Paired carved gateways inside the mosque.
A pilgrims' shrine west of the mosque.
Jalan Menara, Kauman, Kudus old town (Kudus Kulon)
Tradition says Sunan Kudus forbade slaughtering cattle out of respect for the Hindus of his day, who revered the cow, so buffalo took its place, even at his yearly commemoration. Many in the old town still keep the custom, and buffalo satay is a local speciality.
Before Ramadan, during the Dhandhangan fair, named after the sound of the drum still beaten from the minaret to announce the fast, and from 1 to 10 Muharram, when the tomb's cloth is changed in the Buka Luwur ceremony and blessed rice with buffalo meat is shared out. Pilgrims also crowd in during Rajab, Sha'ban and school holidays.