Ampel Mosque: Surabaya, East Java

Ampel Mosque is believed to be the oldest in the country. Its founder, Sunan Ampel (otherwise known as Raden Ahmad Rachmatulloh), was one of nine figures who played a leading role in spreading Islam across Java. Sunan Ampel was born in 1401 in Champa, Cambodia. He is a descendant of Ibrahim Asmarakandi, or Maulana Malik Ibrahim, a Champa ruler. When he was 20 years old, Sunan Ampel moved to Surabaya in East Java, which was then ruled by Raja Brawijaya, a Majapahit king.

The king gave Sunun Ampel a 12-hectare plot of land in the Ampel Dento area where he built a mosque and taught local residents about Islam.

In 1421, Sunan Ampel completed Ampel Mosque using a combination of ancient Javanese and Arabic architectural styles.
Various legends exist about the mosque.

One such legend concerns nine graves present in the area, believed to belong to Mbah Soleh, a disciple of Sunan Ampel.
When Mbah Soleh died, Sunan Ampel asked God to send him back to earth so he could help construct the mosque.

“God gave Mbah Soleh nine lives,” Amin said.
Another legend concerns seven wells dug by Sunan Ampel. The water inside these wells is said to have had the power to heal various illnesses.

Due to such legends, Ampel Mosque, located on KH Mas Mansyur street in north Surabaya, has become quite revered in recent years.

“Just look around. Nearly every inch of space is filled with worshipers,” said Amin.

During Ramadhan, Ampel Mosque is never empty.

Aside from performing the five compulsory prayers daily, the worshipers also perform their nightly tarawih prayers together, followed by Koran recitals until the break of dawn.

Many people catch up on sleep in the mosque’s corridors while waiting to perform the tahajud prayer at around 2 a.m.

Visitors to the mosque also often visit its graveyard to offer prayers to Sunan Ampel and his disciples.

While praying at graves remains controversial among some Muslim communities, Amin said the practice was an important part of local culture.

“Praying at graves is not asking for blessings from the deceased. We are offering our prayers to those who have died,” he said.

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The Legend of Nyi Loro Kidul

The domain of Nyi Loro Kidul, the legendary queen of the South Seas, is Parangtritis in Central Java. Her hair is green and full of shells and seaweed, and, she holds court over sea nymphs and other creatures of the deep. She is venerated and feared by the Javanese. In fact, they never wear the colour green when entering the sea for fear of offending Nyi Loro Kidul whose hair is green!.

‘The legend of Nyi Roro Kidul herself is very popular. Before turning into a nymph,Nyai Roro Kidul was a young princess named Dewi Kandita, the daughter of King Mundangwangi and his first wife. The popularity of Dewi Kandita and her mother Dewi Rembulan was beyond doubt. They were known for their beauty, kindness and friendliness, and people loved them.

However, the misery of their lives began when Dewi Mutiara, another wife of King Mundangwangi, known locally as selir, became green with envy and grew ambitions to become the first wife, thereby deserving full affection and attention from the king.

Dewi Mutiara’s dream came true when one day she bore the son that the king had long been yearning for. Through the assistance of a witch, Dewi Mutiara made the king’s wives Dewi Rembulan and Dewi Kandita suffer from ’strange’ disease, with their bodies covered with scabies that created the odour of fish. The disease led them to be sent into exile in the forest where later Dewi Rembulan died. After a long, hard and helpless journey, the scabies-covered Dewi Kandita eventually arrived at a beach where she met a young, handsome man who promised to cure her illness.

At the request of the young man, Dewi Kandita chased after him as he ran along the beach. When she reached the water, the man disappeared and, to her surprise, all the scabies had disappeared but, strangely, she could not move her legs. Half her body, from the waist down, had turned into the body of a fish.

Since then she became a sea-nymph, and the locals believe that Nyi Roro Kidul is the manifestation of Dewi Kandita’

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Oban's Myths & Legends

A fox and a cat were out walking together when the fox began boasting how clever he was.

“I’m prepared for any situation” said the Fox. “I have a whole bag of tricks to choose from if my enemies try to capture me.”

“I’m afraid I’ve only got one trick, but it has always worked for me” The cat said timidly.

The fox looked at the cat and shook his head “One trick, how dumb is that? I’ve got hundreds of ways of escaping” said the fox.

“I still think it’s better to have one trick that works than waste time trying to choose from a dozen that might” said the cat softly.

“Rubbish” shouted the fox. “You’re just not as smart as me”

Just then they heard a pack of dogs barking as they coming towards them. The cat immediately ran up the nearest tree and hid on one of the highest branches.

“That’s my trick” the cat called from high up in the tree. “You had better reach into that bag of tricks of yours and choose one right now or you're history”

“Ok, Ok, stay calm” said the fox to himself.

“Should I run and hide behind the nearest hedge?

Or should I jump down a burrow?”

The dogs were getting closer and closer.

“Down a burrow that’s the way to go” said the fox, and started running around the field looking for a burrow.

“No, that one’s too small, I can’t get down far enough. This one’s too big, they could get down too. Maybe that one over there?”

Too late. While the fox wasted time, confused by so many choices, the dogs caught him and killed him.

The cat looked down sadly and said, “It’s better to have one safe way than a hundred you can’t choose from.”

The End

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