The Geometrical Perspective of Demak Great Mosque

Eka Zuliana Faculty of Education

Universitas Muria Kudus Kudus, Indonesia

Doctoral CandidatePostgraduated Program

Yogyakarta State UniversityYogyakarta, Indonesiaeka.zuliana@umk.ac.id

Ariyadi WijayaPostgraduated Program

Yogyakarta State UniversityYogyakarta, Indonesia

a. wijaya @uny.ac.id

Siti Irene Astuti DwiningrumPostgraduated Program

Yogyakarta State UniversityYogyakarta, Indonesiaireneast@yahoo.com

Abstract—This research is ethnomathematics study on Demak Central Java Indonesia to explore geometrical perspective of Demak Great Mosque as a part of culture that have correlation to the geometry concepts. This study uses ethnographic method. Data collected by observation, documentation, interview, and field note. Data analyzed by descriptively. The result show exploration of Demak Great Mosque Building could be connected into geometry concepts such as pyramid, cylinder, symmetry, and geometry transformation. The mosque also have many cultural value philosophy.

Keywords—Geometrical perspective, Demak Great Mosque

I. INTRODUCTION

Indonesia's cultural diversity extends from Sabang to Merauke, Indonesia has been called a multicultural country because of its[1-2]. Culture is classified into 3 types, namely: (1) ideas, (2) activities, and (3) artifacts [3]. In the process of cultural development, Indonesian people sometimes carry out activities to measure, calculate, make art, architecture which indirectly involve mathematical concepts. Anthropologists show evidence of practices that are usually mathematical in nature, such as counting, ordering, sorting, measuring and weighing, carried out in ways that are very different from those normally taught in the school system. This concept is called ethnomatematics [4]. Mathematics associated with this culture is known as ethnomatematics.

The geometry perspective has long been an important part of the architecture of a building. The concept of a congruent building was first developed in Asia and Africa, the concept of cotangent and equilateral triangles were used to build pyramids, Mozambican people built rectangular houses using ropes of the same length as the diagonals. Natives from indigenous tribes who have a pristine cultural background have a high level of expertise in mathematics, geometry and related fields [5]. Some studies related to architecture and geometry are shown from various countries with their respective characteristics, for the example, the roof of the mosque from the kingdom of Kelantan,

Malaysia, has a triangular-shaped roof layered [6]. The temple in Guangxi and the ancient Haka houses in China, and the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia were designed by designers who implicitly showed their expertise in the fields of measurement and geometry [7]. In the other fields of geometry such as cartesian and symmetry, in many original American designs such as textiles, saintdpainting and pottery there are four cardinal directions which are able to provide an original analogue to the complete cartesian coordinate system with abscissa and ordinate [8].

Demak regency, located in the north east coast of Central Java, is one of the districts famous for its past glory where perched firmly to an Islamic kingdom of Demak. In the greatness, the kingdom of Demak was led by Raden Patah and supported by Walisongo. This kingdom left a cultural heritage which is still utilized and preserved until now. A mosque which during the kingdom was used for gathering, discussing, deliberation, prayer and Friday prayers. The mosque is also become a place of discussion for guests including Walisongo, dukes in the Land of Java and beyond. A great mosque building that is expected not to disappoint, a beautiful and proper building that has become a heritage for the Demak kingdom [9].

The great mosque of Demak is able to integrate the values of Islam with the local culture which until now has survived and become a national cultural heritage site, and also plays a role as an internationally integrated mosque with all mosques in the world with the same essence and same orientation, namely qibla of Mecca [10]. As a cultural heritage in the form of artifacts, every corner of Demak great mosque has beautiful artistic and geometric architectural values that are able to elevate the local wisdom meaning of Demak kingdom. These geometric elements are an important part

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of the spatial and architectural art of the mosque.

This paper is an ethnomathematics study that discusses valuable artifacts from the kingdom of Demak in the form of the great mosque of Demak viewed from a Geometrical perspective and philosophical values.

II. METHOD

A. Types of ResearchThis research is a qualitative research with ethnographic

study. Ethnography is an embryo of cultural anthropology research [11]. Ethnography is an activity to describe and explain a culture [12]. Ethnography is also a qualitative research design in which researchers try to explain and interpret a culture, social group or system that exists in society [13]. There are two important keywords in ethnography, namely (1) describing culture and (2) interpreting culture. In this research, the first thing to do is describe culture and philosophical values, then proceed continue with interpreting culture in a geometrical perspective.

B. Data CollectionData were collected using observation techniques,

interviews and field notes. The instrument are an observation sheet, interview guidelines and a field note sheet.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONCultural acculturation in Demak kingdom occurred

because of the great contribution of Walisongo. With various considerations especially in the prominence of religion, government (kingdom) as well as a place for deliberation and study, Walisongo together with Raden Patah established a mosque, namely the Glagahwangi Mosque. This mosque is the oldest mosque on the Java island, this mosque came to be known as Demak great mosque. This mosque was founded in marked by condrosengkolo "Lawang Trus Gunaningjanmi". Where the turtle located on the mosque's mihrab has the symbol of 1401 Saka (1479 M).

Walisongo plays the role of laying the first stone in the construction of the mosque. Sunan Kalijaga lined up as the main architect. With several considerations such as wood material, adjusting Demak's relatively hot climate, adopting a traditional Javanese house with a tajug roof, as well as a square plan with the mihrab as orientation signs.

The following article presents cultural values and geometrical perspectives in the Demak Great Mosque.

A. Tajug and Pyramid RoofThe roof of the mosque consists of overlapping tajug roofs made of wood sheets (sirap) that shelter the main room and the pyramid (limasan) that houses the veranda of the mosque. The shape of the tajug roof like a three-tiered pyramid, getting to the top of the smaller, the culmination in crown. The philosophical value that is meant from this building is the relationship of verticality, namely worshiping Alloh, the God Almighty, transcendent and sacred because it overshadows the main room, 3 existing tajug has a deep meaning where tajug 1 (the lowest) is the foundation that is Islam, then tajug 2 (middle) means faith, and the highest level in the third tajug (above) means ihsan. While the philosophical value of the limasan creates a horizontal relationship to

fellow human beings and their environment, it is immanent, profane, open and shades the foyer of the mosque. From the concept of dualism, there are differences in function but still complement and reinforce one another.Figure 1 below illustrates the shape of a mosque roof

Fig. 1. The Philosophy of Mosque Roof

From a geometrical perspective, the mosque roof is in the form of a quadrilateral pyramid and beheaded pyramid, when viewed from the side in two dimensions, the roof of the mosque is also symmetrical and looks like an isoceles triangle. Figure 2 below shows the symmetry of the mosque's roof.

Fig. 2. Symmetry and Reflection on Tajug Roof

B. Crown (Mustaka)Mustaka is an important part of the mosque's roof cover. Mustaka (crown) is a symbol of the ultimate goal of the goal of human worship, namely returning to his god.Geometrically the crown is in the shape of a convex-tipped cylindrical tube, the bottom of the beheaded pyramid. Mustaka have an ornament of padma petals at each corner. The padma flower has a symbol of purity. On the crown there is the writing of Allah. Figure 3 below shows other aspects of geometry from mustaka

limasan (Pyramid)

Tajug 3: Ihsan

Tajug 2: Faith (iman)

Tajug 1:Islam

Vertical

Horizontal

Soko is Pillar

Axis of symmetry

Soko Guru (Upper)

Soko Pengarak (middle)

Soko Emperan (under)

Fig. 3. Ellips, Trapezoid, Symmetry and Reflection in Crown

The other geometric aspects are the symmetrical shape of the mustaka, the concept of reflection and when viewed from a two-dimensional perspective, it looks like a combination of several structures, namely isosceles trapezoid and ellipse.

C. The Main Prayer Hall (Dalem Room)The main room is a sacred room which is the center of the building and it has closed characteristic because it is used as the main prayer place, at the front of this room there is a mihrab where the place of priest prayer. The Dalem room is a square with four pillars (soko guru) in the center, supported by 12 pillars (soko pengarak) and soko emperan. The main room as a central or pancer which have soko guru, tajug roofs, crowns and pendants. All of this artifacts make a balance and harmony in realizing human relations with his God. The following figure 4 shows a picture of the floor plan and the results of the geometrical analysis of the Dalem room.

Fig. 4. Main Prayer Hall Sketch represent Square Sketch and Symmetry

The layout of the dalem room is square with a chandelier and a crown as a shaft or pancer. The support pillars consisting of soko guru, soko pengarak and soko emperan in solid cylindrical shape. Soko Guru is made of teak wood with a diameter of 95 cm and height of 16 m, one of which is made by Sunan Kalijaga from tatal (wood scraps from the other pillar). Soko guru became the main supporter of the highest peak.

D. VerandaThe veranda is also known as the pendopo that become an important part in the Demak great mosque building

structure. The porch is a profane space, open without walls and a place for discussion and deliberation. Inside the porch there is a Majapahit pillar, soko penanggap, umpak and chandeliers. The porch building plan is slightly different from the dalem room. Porch tends to be rectangular in shape, supported by 8 majapahit pillars and 28 soko penanggap. Figure 5 below illustrates the mosque's porch floor plan and the geometrical perspective.

Fig. 5. Veranda represent rectangle sketch

Figure 5 shows there are a rectangular porch plan, the majapahit pillars and soko penanggap have cuboid form. The room also looks symmetrical. It also can be seen that there are umpaks (the base foundation) of the Majapahit pillars and Soko penanggap. In this the foyer umpak seen in the outside, it is different with dalem room. This gives meaning of openness and honesty, in the base there is also the letter mim-ha-mim-dal which means the Prophet Muhammad. Therefore every Muslim should follow the the straight path of the Prophet Muhammad. Figure 6 below shows an overview of the umpak.

Fig. 6. Umpak

The umpak is able to represent symmetry. Meanwhile, when viewed from the stylization of motifs, the

Symmetrical room

Chandelier and crown

Soko guru

Square plan

Soko pengarak

Symmetrical Room

Majapahit PillarChandelier

Penanggap Pillar

Rectangle sketch

geometrical transformation in the form of rotation and dilation are appears

E. Mihrab, Maksurah and Dampar KencanaMihrab is the place where the imam stood during prayer, besides that it serves as a sign of Qibla direction. In the mihrab there is a machination symbol which is a condro sengkolo which reads sariro sunyi kiblating gusti which means 1401 saka or 1479M. Figure 7 below illustrates the mihrab and symbol of turtle in it.

Fig. 7. Mihrab and turtle symbol

From figure 7 above we can see symmetrical ornamentation of turtle on the right and the left sides.

Maksurah and Dampar kencana are also an important part of mosque’s artifacts. Maksurah is a building on the left side of the mihrab measuring 28 x 182 x 319 cm which serves as a place for sultan or king prayers, while Dampar Kencana is a pulpit measuring 246 x 195 x 292 cm, long time ago dampar kencana was the throne of the king of Majapahit. Judging from its size Maksurah and Dampar Kencana are a cuboid.

Fig. 8. Maksurah and Dampar Kencana

F. Ornament Surya Majapahit and Bledeg Door Majapahit solar ornaments are located on the wall above the mihrab

Fig. 9. Surya Majapahit

Majapahit solar ornament is able to represent the concepts of symmetry and rotation.

Bledeg Door (Lawang Bledeg)

Bledeg Door is the main door that connects the foyer room and the main room of the mosque, it is the only carved door and marks the year the mosque was built. In addition, the presence of carvings on the door gives special meaning related to Javanese culture carving patterns. Bledeg door also has a horizontal axis parallel to the mihrab and the pancer among the four pillars.

Fig. 10. Bledeg door

From the figure 10 above we can show symmetry and reflection concept from the wood carvings.

IV. CONCLUSIONThe artifacts of Demak great mosque having several

ethnomathematics knowledge especially in geometry such as the form of quadrilateral pyramids, cuboid, cylinder, isosceles triangle, square, rectangle, ellips, trapezoid, symmetry and geometry transformation (reflection, rotation,

and dilatation). The artifacts also having many several philosophical values.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT DRPM KEMENRISTEKDIKTI which has funded this

research through a doctoral dissertation research grant scheme.

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