Ampel Mosque

Ampel Mosque is an historic mosque complex in the Ampel district of Surabaya, East Java, traditionally founded in the early 15th century. It is one of the oldest and most important Islamic sites in the city.

The complex includes a timber-roofed Javanese-style prayer hall and an open courtyard used for congregational worship. The adjacent tomb area is a place of local pilgrimage and is frequently visited during religious festivals. The mosque remains an active community mosque rather than a museum site.

The mosque is traditionally credited to the Islamic teacher known as Sunan Ampel, who played a role in spreading Islam in Java; the tomb nearby is associated with him and later devotees. Over the centuries the complex has been repaired and expanded while retaining traditional Javanese architectural elements.

The mosque sits in the Ampel neighbourhood of Surabaya, close to the city centre and the Kali Mas river, within East Java province.

• Founding: Founded in the early 15th century and traditionally associated with one of Java's Wali Songo, the site remains an active place of worship.
• Visiting times: Friday prayers and Islamic holidays draw large crowds, while weekday mornings are much quieter for visitors.

What to See #

• Mosque complex: A small complex centred on the mosque building with a timber-roofed Javanese-style prayer hall and adjacent open courtyard used for congregational prayers.
• Sunan Ampel tomb: A graveyard containing the tomb of the Islamic teacher commemorated as Sunan Ampel, a 15th-century figure in Javanese Islamic history.