Islamic Values of the Northern Town Square of the Yogyakarta Sultanate

Abstract

Since the end of the 13th century during the era of the Majapahit Kingdom, the Public Square or town square has always become part of the kingdom. The square is a manifestation of public space, an integral part of the spatial layout of the royal capital. This concept was later adopted by cities in Indonesia, which provides an open space right in front of the palace or government office. Public squares as public spaces can play various roles in enhancing the quality of urban life, especially to express the social economic and environmental values. This paper aims to solely focus on the northern town square located inside the palace complex, especially by addressing the Islamic values of the northern town square of the Yogyakarta Sultanate using qualitative approaches in terms of its social economic and environmental aspects. Primary data were directly obtained from the research location by taking some photographs, field observation, and notes, while secondary data were derived from the literature and the Internet. The research suggests that the northern town square serves as the symbol and manifestation of not only the media to relate mankind to God but also the media to relate mankind to nature. In terms of mankind-to-God relation, the northern town square serves as a place for Eid prayers every year, including the Eid Fitr and the Eid Adha. Also, some annual events like the Sekaten are held every year to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sekaten Fun Fair to celebrate the birth of the Prophet highlights the Islamic values related to social economic and tourism activities. In the context of northern town square landscape, the element of 64-banyan trees around the northern town square symbolizes the age of the Prophet Muhammad. This tree concept has been successfully protected the environment around the northern town square and serves as a public open space in the city of Yogyakarta.