One of the nine saints
A fifteenth-century mosque.
Abdul Hanif Arromy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Abdul Hanif Arromy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Abdul Hanif Arromy — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of Java's oldest and holiest mosques, founded in the fifteenth century by Sunan Ampel, one of the nine saints who spread Islam on the island, with his tomb behind it drawing pilgrims from all over Indonesia. With its tiered Javanese roof and ancient wooden pillars, the mosque keeps the spirit of those beginnings, though it has grown greatly over the centuries. Around the mosque lies Surabaya's oldest Arab quarter, home for centuries to traders from Hadramawt and Yemen. You reach it through covered lanes like Arab souks, selling dates, perfumes, prayer beads, abayas, religious books and tamarind, while restaurants serve kabsa, mandi and broth. An Arab visitor feels at home here, as if in an old market in an Arab city. Entry is free. Visitors are asked to dress modestly and remove shoes, and women to cover their hair; it is very crowded in Ramadan, on Fridays and on pilgrimage nights. Come before Dhuhr or Asr, pray in the mosque, then wander the market and lunch in one of the Arab restaurants. Watch your belongings in the crowds.
A fifteenth-century mosque.
Hadrami traders for centuries.
Covered lanes like Arab souks.
Ampel, north of old Surabaya
Red Bridge and Old TownThe heart of old Surabaya around the Red Bridge over the Kalimas River, where th11 minutes walk
House of SampoernaAn elegant nineteenth-century colonial building in the old town, with a white fa12 minutes walk
Heroes Monument (Tugu Pahlawan) and 10 November MuseumSurabaya's best-known symbol, a white obelisk shaped like an inverted nail risin22 minutes walkYes: the Arab quarter has restaurants serving kabsa, mandi, broth and Arabic tea, alongside halal Indonesian dishes.