Dr. Hélène Njoto’s Public Lecture at Unpad History Study Program
History Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Padjadjaran, held an international public lecture with speaker Dr. Hélène Njoto on Wednesday, 6 September 2023. Dr. Njoto is a researcher from École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Jakarta. Her research focuses on art and architecture from Java’s Islamic and early colonial periods (the 16th to early 19th century). At the public lecture held at the Hall of the Center for Japanese Studies (PSBJ), Dr. Njoto gave a lecture entitled “Early Nusantara Mosque Types: A Disappearing Islamic Heritage”.
Dr. Njoto began her lecture by reviewing the early rise of Southeast Asian mosques and their various characteristics. The focus was on the structure of the upper part of the mosques, which was in the form of an overlapping roof or tajug instead of a dome like the mosques commonly found today. Dr. Njoto argued that the early mosques in the archipelago are witnesses to the early process of Islamization. This can be seen from the forming components of the early Nusantara mosques, which consisted of two main things. First, the masonry platforms are a legacy of the Hindu-Buddhist period. Second, the tajug roof which is characteristic of Austronesian culture. This is not only seen in the early mosques in the archipelago. The combination of the two elements can also be seen in the Balinese building called Wantilan.
Dr. Njoto emphasized the urgency of preserving the early mosques of the archipelago, of which there are not many left. One of these preservation efforts is being carried out by Dr. Njoto at the oldest mosque in Maluku, the Wapauwe Mosque. The program, which aims to conserve and empower the surrounding community, is a collaborative effort between EFEO and the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, funded by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH). The program has been ongoing since January 2023 and will end in March 2024.
Dr. Njoto’s presentation received a positive response from the discussion attendees, which was participated by several lecturers of the History Study Program and dozens of students who filled the PSBJ hall. Professor of History of Padjadjaran University, Professor Kunto Sofianto, on the occasion, also added several traditional village mosques in various regions in West Java, which also have characteristics that are interesting to study further. The enthusiasm for the lecture given by Dr. Njoto was also evident from the many questions given by the students at that time. Dr. Hélène Njoto’s public lecture was the 3rd public lecture in 2023 held by the History Study Program. Previously, the History Study Program held a public lecture by inviting Arlo Griffiths, Professor of Southeast Asian History, École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) in March 2023 and Professor Marieke Bloembergen from Leiden University, the Netherlands, in May 2023. The whole series of public lectures is part of the FIB World Class University Program, which carries the theme “Ngakar di Saraan Punjul di Buana”.
Writer: Dr. Gani Jaelani, DEA
Translator: Firda Khoirunnisa
