Kudus Regency

Kudus is a regency (Indonesian: kabupaten) in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Kudus. It is located east of Semarang, capital of Central Java.

History

The city of Kudus was something of an important Islamic holy city in the sixteenth century. It is the only place in Java that has permanently acquired an Arabic name ('al-Quds', Jerusalem). Sunan Kudus, one of the nine Wali Sanga, was said to have been the fifth imam (head) of the mosque of Demak and a major leader of the 1527 campaign against 'Majapahit', before moving to Kudus.

The Mosque of Kudus (Masjid Menara) which dates from this period, remains a local landmark to this day. It is notable for both its perseverance of pre-Islamic architectural forms such as Old Javanese split doorways and Hindu-Buddhist influenced Majapahit-style brickwork, and for its name al-Manar or al-Aqsa. The date AH 956 (AD 1549) is inscribed over the mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca).

Contemporary Kudus

Most residents of Kudus are Javanese although there is an Indonesian Chinese minority in the city centre, as well as an Arab neighbourhood, Kudus Kulon, to the west of the city centre.