Politics of Heritage in the Conservation of Demak Mosque, Indonesia

Masjid Demak (Demak Mosque), one of the oldest mosques in Java, built-in 1577 AD, had undergone several renovations and restorations as well as political scrutiny in different periods of history. The first renovations happened in the pre-colonial era when the Mosque was adapted to fit with the needs of people’s praying space. During the colonial period, especially after the Java war, there were political conflicts concerning the conservation of Demak Mosque between the Dutch and the native aristocrat (Sultan Pakubuwono VII and the Regent of Sumenep). In the Post-colonial era, especially in the New Order period, the Regime used the articulation of traditional Architectures, which were also heritage buildings, as a reference to form a monumental legacy as part of its political identity. This is not the act of conservation; instead of using the simulations or replicating heritage buildings as a strategy to control people’s identity. The conservation that belongs to native society becomes an important medium to form the political identity of a particular regime or power. This paper focuses on the issue of politics of the heritage that happens in the Demak Mosque from different periods of time, such as pre-colonial and colonial, until post-colonial time. The historical narratives of the Demak Mosque rely on various sources such as archives, literature, and other media to illustrate the political relationship between the Architectural heritage and power that happened in Demak Mosque.