Ampel Quarter

Sunan Ampel was one of the Wali Songo, the nine saints credited with the spread of Islam through Java in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and his mosque and grave in northern Surabaya are among the most visited pilgrimage sites in the country - buses arrive continuously from across Java and beyond, and the alleys around the complex are dense with pilgrims at all hours. The quarter that grew round it is the Arab quarter: narrow lanes lined with shops selling dates, prayer beads, perfumes, kitab books, gamis and Middle Eastern food, descended from the Hadhrami Arab traders who settled here. The mosque itself is fifteenth century in origin with a Javanese tiered roof and old teak columns. It is a working religious site first and a sightseeing destination a distant second.

What you actually see

• Sunan Ampel's grave - one of the Wali Songo, drawing pilgrims continuously.
• A fifteenth-century mosque - Javanese tiered roof on old teak columns.
• The Arab quarter lanes - dates, perfumes, books and Hadhrami food shops.
• Constant pilgrimage traffic - buses arriving from across Java and beyond.

When to go

May to September; Ramadan and the saint's commemoration are the busiest. Half a day.

Honest expectations

This is a pilgrimage site, not an attraction - dress conservatively, women should cover, and be discreet with cameras. The lanes are packed and hot. Non-Muslims are generally welcome but should ask.

Nearby

The Surabaya old town and Kalimas port are south; Arab and Chinese quarters adjoin.