Multicultural Manifestations of Menara Kudus Mosque Pre-Islamic Traditional Ornaments, in Central Java

The historical heritage of the spread of Islamic culture on Java by Walisanga is mainly in the form of mosque buildings. One of them is the Al-Aqsa Mosque or Menara Kudus Mosque, in Central Java. The Menara Kudus Mosque has a unique architectural and ornamentation of the continuation of pre-Islamic (Hindu-Buddhist, Chinese) cultural traditions. This study aims to describe, analyze, and interpret the form of the traditional Menara Kudus Mosque to explain the manifestations of the multicultural values of the supporting communities. Based on the characteristics of the research objectives, the analysis is carried out with an iconographic approach, namely a series of pre-iconographical description; iconographical analysis; and iconological interpretation. The results showed that the aesthetic diversity and symbolic meaning of Menara Kudus Mosque ornaments originated from the values of pre-Islamic and Islamic cultural traditions which were harmoniously and continuously combined. The existence of mythological figurative ornaments, Kala Bintulu patterned ornaments, medallion patterned tendrils, patchwork ornaments, and Surya Majapahit patterned ornaments strengthens that understanding. These symptoms are manifestations of the value of tolerance for cultural diversity and multicultural messages that are lived in by the supporting community.