Kota santri ("city of santri" or "city of pious people" [1] ) is an epithet used in Indonesia, predominantly in Java, given to a region historically important in the context of Islamic education. The term santri generally means a Muslim student who studies at pesantren , an Islamic boarding school indigenous to the Indonesian archipelago.
In the modern days, the term kota santri was popularized by a folk song sung by a qasidah modern musical group Nasida Ria from Semarang. [2] [3]
The concept of santri was historically used to designate a Javanese societal class (aliran) that observes orthodox Sunni Islam and espouses a strong Muslim identity. Today, the term santri is mostly used to call a Muslim student who studies at pesantren. Pesantren, or pondok pesantren, is a traditional Islamic educational institution in Indonesia that employs a boarding school system and generally covers from the elementary to middle school years. The cities and regions renowned as kota santri are generally characterized by the historical concentration of pesantren, in addition to mosques or the graves of venerated ulamas. [2] [3] The term kota santri is often emphasized by the cities and regions to promote religious tourism. [3]
The term kota santri is predominantly used for the cities and regions in Java, especially East Java. [3] [lower-alpha 1]
The list is in alphabetical order.
The Banjar region, especially the city of Martapura, is known for Islamic education, with famous institutions such as Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Martapura. The city is also known as the "Veranda to Mecca" for historically being the point of departure to Hajj. The Great Mosque of Al-Karomah, a historical mosque first established in 1863, is a landmark of the city. [2]
Bireuen Regency was officially declared as kota santri by Nova Iriansyah, the governor of Aceh, and Muzakkar A. Gani, the regent of Bireuen, on the National Santri Day on October 22, 2020. The regency has the largest number of pesantren in Aceh with approximately 51,000 students enrolling in pesantren. [4]
Gresik is home to two of the most important propagators of Islam in Indonesia, Sunan Giri and Syekh Maulana Malik Ibrahim. In addition to many pesantren schools, the city is known as the center of Qur'anic education with many educational parks, environment, and communities dedicated to it. [2]
Jombang is known for prestigious pesantren schools, including Pondok Pesantren Teburing, Pondok Pesantren Denanyar, Pondok Pesantren Tambakberas, Pondok Pesantren Attahdzib, and Pondok Pesantren Darul Ulum of Rejoso. The city has produced many renowned Islamic figures, including the former President of Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid who studied at Tambakberas and the current Vice President of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin who studied at Tebuireng. The pesantren of Tebuireng is also known as the school established by Hasyim Asy'ari, the founder of Nadlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in the world. [2]
Kendal in Central Java, especially the district of Kaliwungu, has long held the status of a model city for Muslim students in Indonesia. There are dozens of Islamic boarding schools with thousands of students in them. The average district in Kendal has at least 10 pesantren schools. In the city of Jabal, there are graves of early Muslim propagators such as Kyai Guru which have become a destination of pilgrimage. [2]
The city of Kediri is known for Pondok Pesantren Lirboyo, one of the most prestigious pesantren schools [5] and among the strongholds of NU.
Ponorogo is known for prestigious pesantren, including Pondok Modern Arrisalah, Pondok Darul Huda Mayak, Pondok Tegalsari, Pondok Putri Mawaddah, Pondok Walisongo Ngabar, and Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor. Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor is one of the most prestigious pesantren schools in Indonesia. Pondok Gontor has become famous for the application of discipline, heavy emphasis of foreign languages (Arabic and English), and strong network and cadre of alumni. It also has been an educational institution known for not specifically tied to any political and social organization. The pesantren is considered a backbone of Muslim society in Indonesia, producing numerous leading figures of the history of Islam in Indonesia.
Situbondo is known for Pondok Pesantren Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Sukorejo, one of the most prestigious pesantren schools in Indonesia. [2]
Sukabumi is a destination of saint veneration, with five makams (saint's tomb) and a well that is considered holy. [8] There is a monument called Asmaul Husna Monument in the city center as an icon of the city of Sukabumi, which celebrates the Names of God in Islam. [9]
Fuad Mukhlis, the head of the Pesantren Care Forum of Tasikmalaya, stated that the Tasikmalaya region has hundreds of pesantren schools, 93% of which follow the teaching of Sunni Islam espoused by NU. [10] Other source states that there are more than 800 pesantren schools in Tasikmalaya Regency. [11] The region once attempted to initiate a sharia bylaw that declares the city as kota santri, but this was retracted after met with controversy and rectified as the Bylaw of Values of Religious Communities. [3]
East Java is a province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern and southern coasts, respectively, while the narrow Bali Strait to the east separates Java from Bali by around 2.29 kilometres (1.42 mi). Located in eastern Java, the province also includes the island of Madura, as well as the Kangean islands and other smaller island groups located further east and Masalembu archipelagos in the north. Its capital is Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, a major industrial center and also a major business center. Banyuwangi is the largest regency in East Java and the largest on the island of Java.
The rebana or terbangan is a tambourine that is used in Islamic devotional music in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. The sound of the rebana often accompany Islamic ritual such as the zikir. The name rebana came from the Arabic word robbana. The rebana is also used by the Cham people of Cambodia and also gave rise to the Rabana which is used by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka.
Pesantren, or pondok pesantren, are Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. They consist of pondok, mosque, santri, teaching of classical Islamic texts and Kyai. According to one popular tradition, the pesantren education system originated from traditional Javanese pondokan; dormitories; ashram for Hindu or viharas for Buddhists to learn religious philosophies, martial arts and meditation. Institutions much like them are found across the Islamic world and are called pondok in Malaysia and Southern Thailand and madrasa Islamia in India and Pakistan and much of the Arabic-speaking world. The pesantren aim is to deepen knowledge of the Qurʾān, particularly through the study of Arabic, traditions of exegesis, the Sayings of the Prophet, law and logic. The term pesantren derives from the root word santri or student -- pe-santri-an or the place of the santri.
Ponorogo Regency is a regency (kabupaten) of East Java, Indonesia. It is considered the birthplace of Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indonesian dance form. The regency covers an area of 1,371.78 km2 (529.65 sq mi), and it had a population of 855,281 at the 2010 census and 949,318 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 955,839. The capital of the kabupaten is the local town of Ponorogo located around 30 km (19 mi) south of the main East Java city of Madiun and 65 km (40 mi) south Ngawi
Martapura is the capital of the Banjar Regency in South Kalimantan province, Indonesia. It is located close to the city of Banjarbaru and it consists of three districts within the Regency - Martapura, West Martapura and East Martapura, with a combined population at the 2010 Census of 147,654 people.
Ahmad Mustofa Bisri is an Indonesian Islamic leader from Indonesia and was the ninth Chief Adviser of Nahdlatul Ulama. He is the head of Pondok Pesantren Raudlatuth Thalibin, Rembang, Central Java, Indonesia. Mustofa Bisri, well known as Gus Mus, is famous not only as a kyai—traditional Islamic teacher & leader, but also as a poet and painter.
Pondok Pesantren Walibarokah Burengan Banjaran Kediri is a pesantren located in Kediri, East Java. Run by the Wali Barokah Foundation, the school was founded in 1950 by Nurhasan Al Ubaidah, who wanted to teach Islam to help Indonesia achieve a just and prosperous society both materially, spiritually and morally.
Pondok Pesantren Gading Mangu Perak Jombang is an Islamic religious education in Gading Mangu, Jombang, East Java Province. in Indonesia, The school is managed by Yayasan Budi Utomo.
Kiai Haji Zainal Mustafa, born Hudaemi, and also known as Zainal Mustofa, was an Indonesian ulama and National Hero of Indonesia. He founded the Pesantren Sukamanah when he was 20. He was awarded the title of National Hero in 1972.
Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor Ponorogo, also known as Pondok Modern Gontor, or abbreviated as PMDG, or simply Pesantren Gontor, is a pesantren in Ponorogo Regency, East Java, Indonesia. Since its founding in 1926, the pesantren has become famous for the application of discipline, heavy emphasis of foreign languages, and strong network and cadre of alumni. It also has been an educational institution known for not specifically tied to any political and social organization. The pesantren is considered a backbone of Muslim society in Indonesia, producing numerous leading figures of the history of Islam in Indonesia.
Islam is the most adhered religion in East Java, a province of Indonesia, embraced by 96.7% of the whole population. Throughout the history, East Java has been considered one of the heartlands of Islam in Indonesia, where seen one of the earliest proliferation of Islam, and the establishment of the largest Islamic mass organization in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama.
This is a list of emblems or coat of arms used in Indonesia. Indonesia is divided into 38 provinces, and each province is divided into regencies (kabupaten) and cities (kota). There are 416 regencies and 98 cities. Each province, regency, and city has its own emblem.
Kyai Hajji Zubair Dahlan was an Indonesian ulama of tafsir, fiqh, uṣūl al-fiqh, and tasawwuf from Rembang Regency, Central Java. Every year, in the month of Ramadan, Zubair always routinely teaches the Tafsir al-Jalalayn to his students. In addition, he also active in teaching branches of Arabic grammar and tawhid at the Pesantren Sarang. Zubair is the father of an influential cleric in Indonesia, Maimun Zubair, and a teacher of several Nahdlatul Ulama cleric such as Sahal Mahfudz, Bisri Syansuri, and others. Some of his students later became caregivers and leaders of famous pesantren in Indonesia, such as Pondok Pesantren Lirboyo, Pondok Pesantren Sidogiri, Pondok Pesantren Al-Falah Ploso, Pondok Pesantren Mranggen, and other pesantren.
KHR. As’ad Syamsul Arifin was an Indonesian ulama and co-founder of Nahdatul Ulama. In 2016, he was declared a National Hero of Indonesia.
Noer Muhammad Iskandar was an Indonesian Islamic cleric (kyai) who also the head and the founder of the Ash-Shiddiqiyah Islamic Boarding School. He was also often invited to fill the dawah programme on national television.
Kompang is a traditional Balinese and Javanese musical instrument part of gamelan in the percussion family originated from the Indonesian region of Ponorogo in East Java. Kompang has existed in Indonesia since at least the 8th century and has spread to various regions of Indonesia as well as the Southeast Asia in general, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand, which later became known as Kompang Jawa.
