See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: [Link]

net/publication/43329764

THE CENTER vs. THE PERIPHERY IN CENTRAL- JAVANESE MOSQUE

ARCHITECTURE

Article  in  DIMENSI (Journal of Architecture and Built Environment) · January 2006

Source: OAI

CITATIONS READS
5 206

1 author:

Tutin Aryanti
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
22 PUBLICATIONS   46 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Redesain Sistem Isyarat Penunjuk (Sign System) di Lingkungan Kampus Utama Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia View project

Gender, Space, and Power in Contemporary Mosque Architecture in Yogyakarta, Indonesia View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Tutin Aryanti on 16 May 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 THE CENTER vs. THE PERIPHERY IN CENTRAL- JAVANESE MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE (Tutin Aryanti)

THE CENTER vs. THE PERIPHERY IN CENTRAL- JAVANESE MOSQUE

ARCHITECTURE

Tutin Aryanti
Lecturer of Departement of Architecture, Indonesia University of Education
e-mail: [Link]@[Link]

ABSTRACT
The existence of pawestren, women’s room in Javanese mosques, is an opportunity to promote gender equality in
Muslim society. Pawestren opens women’s access to public space in Muslim society, yet still unequal to men’s.
Architecturally, pawestren occupies lower hierarchy than men’s space in the mosque. The difference is also reflected in the
local linguistic terms used for both spaces. In fact, pawestren, in both traditional and modern Central-Javanese mosques is
considered to be an annex. This inevitably differs the access and control of women’s from men’s to the mosque. This paper
aims at criticizing gender-based segregation of space in the mosque, particularly those in Central Java. Pawestren can be
either good or bad potential in Islamic society beyond gender equality. This paper is expected to give insight understanding of
gender equality through space and furthermore enhance the gender equality itself in religious buildings.
Keywords: gender and space, Javanese mosque architecture.

INTRODUCTION exists in this problem. Looking at the emergence of

women’s space in Central-Javanese mosques
Throughout time and across cultures, architec- physically and non-physically, this paper argues that
ture and spatial arrangements have reinforced status traditional Javanese norms become the main aspect
differences between women and men. Women and which influences the characteristic of the space. The
men are spatially segregated in ways that reduce existence of the specific space in public realm is an
women’s access to knowledge and thereby reinforce opportunity which should be explored deeper and
women’s lower status relative to men’s. Daphne deeper in order to accommodate the real gender
Spain (1992) contributed a precious basic literature on equality in the society.
gendered spaces. She demonstrated the pervasiveness Using the case of Javanese mosques, this paper
of spatial institutions and their association with gender concerns with gender relationship in Muslim built
stratification over time and across cultures by environment, which is symbolized both physically
presenting a wide range of examples. Shirley Ardener and non-physically in the mosques. It aims to criticize
(in Rendell, [Link]. eds, 2000) underlined Spain’s gender-based segregation of space in the mosque,
conclusion that the spaces differing men and women particularly those in Central Java, Indonesia.
are allocated culturally and the particular spaces play
role in symbolizing, maintaining, and reinforcing GENDER AND SPATIAL SEGREGATION IN
gender relationship. ISLAM
The seclusion of women from public space and
public activity has proven to be significant to the The resources which can be used as references
subordination of women in the society. Women have in discussing Islamic perspective on gender and the
limited access to knowledge, power, and economic position of women and men in Islam are Quran and
resources. Akel Ismail Kahira “Deconstructing the Hadith. Both of them are the main references for
American Mosque: Space, Gender, and Aesthetics” Muslim all over the world. Quran is the God’s revela-
(2002) criticized space, gender, and aesthetics of tion which is then supported by Hadith containing
American mosques. In terms of gender, he gave initial Prophet Muhammad’s verbal and nonverbal interpre-
description of how gender relationship in the mosque tation on Quran.
make the contemporary expression on the buildings in The concept of gender equality is very much
North America. He found the limits of male control stressed in Islam. Quran portrays the original creation
and female subordination, especially with regard to of woman and man as one living entity. As stated in
the rights of worship. Quran (4:1), "O humankind, be conscious of your
It is a big question why women are generally Sustainer who has created you out of one living entity,
subordinated in most Muslim countries while on the and out of it created its mate, and out of the two
contrary; Islam encourages gender equality in the spread abroad a multitude of men and women." The
society. The involvement of local norms inevitably Qur'an shows that both sexes are of equal standing.

Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra 73
[Link]
 DIMENSI TEKNIK ARSITEKTUR Vol. 34, No. 2, Desember 2006: 73 - 80

Moreover, The Qur'an assigns commands and of the Prophet's time, they plainly requested the
prohibitions to both genders, which sets the tone for Prophet to make a special day for women. So the
the status of women. Prophet dedicated a day for them when he used to
As for social rights, Islam has always recognized give them lessons and sermons (Narrated by Al-
the substantial role women play in society. The right Bukhari). Abdullah bin Umar said that Prophet
of inheritance and the right of individual independent Muhammad stated, "Do not prevent your women
ownership unhampered by father, husband, brother, from going to the mosque, although their homes are
son or anyone else for that matter, has also been better for them (for their prayers)" (Narated by Abu
granted. They are given the freedom to pursue any Daud). Thus, it is clear that Islam does not forbid
profession including political stations. women to be in the public space, particularly in the
The gender segregation of space in Islam is often mosque.
interpreted as a confinement for women to get the The traditions in Muslim societies generally
same information in the mosque. As we refer to the discourage and limit women’s access to public space
Hadith of Muslim about women’s chance to go to the and public activity. In several Muslim communities,
mosque, Prophet Muhammad did not restrict women the concept of hijab (spatial segregation) which
to come to public facility1. Women used to attend the specifically applied as purdah (keeping from public
jama`ah or congregational Prayers and the Friday view) refers to the veiling and seclusion of Muslim
Prayers in the Prophet's Mosque. The Prophet urged women to minimize their contact with men (Caplan,
them to stand in the last rows behind men. At the 1985; Mandelbaum, 1988; Papanek, 1973 in Spain,
beginning, men and women used to enter through the 1992). Segregation from men is the cornerstone of
same door. When this caused overcrowding on purdah and most Muslim believe that purdah is
entrances and exits, the Prophet said, "(It would be divinely ordained. Based on the same norm, Muslim
better) if this door is left for women." Upon hearing women cannot enter the male sanctum of the mosque;
so, the men made that door for women, and it became on the contrary they must pray at home
known up until today as "The Women's Door". (Mandelbaum, 1988 in Spain, 1992). A dilemma that
Moreover, women, at the time of the Prophet, tends to weigh against the consistent use of a
used to attend the Friday Prayers; they used to functional norm or spatial ideal is the understanding
perform the Prayer regularly and listen to the khutbah of space and gender in Islam. The ways in which
(= preach; Arabic) to the extent that one of them could Muslim society have dealt with this delicate problem
recite Surat Qaf as she heard the Prophet recite it are sometimes distasteful, requiring that rules of some
several times in the Friday khutbah. Women also used kind must exist and must be formulated as
to attend the Eid Prayers and participate in that big unequivocally as possible. However, in the text of the
Islamic festival that included the old and the young, Quran, there is no such legal or religious imperative.
men as well as women, out in the open, all Women have the right to go to the mosque, and the
worshipping Allah. Prophet's mosque at Madinah had free access for both
Umm Attiyyah narrated, "We used to be ordered sexes, but this does not itself imply that the
to come out on the Day of the Eid and even bring out contemporary mosques are free from gender con-
the virgin girls from their houses and menstruating straints. In many traditional Muslim societies, a set of
women so that they might stand behind the men and rigorous male-formulated rules restricts the use of the
say takbir along with them and invoke Allah along mosque by women.
with them and hope for the blessings of that day and
for purification from sins" (Reported by Al-Bukhari). GENDER AND SPATIAL SEGREGATION IN
Women also used to attend religious sermons with JAVANESE PERSPECTIVE
men at the Prophet's house and they used to inquire
about religious matters that many women nowadays In Javanese idea, woman is perceived as “kanca
would find embarrassing to ask about. For instance, wingking” (= friend behind the scene). The word
Aishah (the Prophet’s wife) praised the women of Al- “wanita” (= woman; Javanese) is an abbreviation of
Ansar for trying to understand their religion without “wanodya kang puspita” (= beautiful creature), as
being held back by bashfulness for they used to ask well as “wani ditata” (= can be ordered). The
about such matters as major ritual impurity, wet explanation is that Javanese perceives woman as a
dream, purificatory bath, menstruation, etc. When beautiful creature, who is physically good looking and
women found that men's questions were taking most is able to be ordered under man’s rule. Traditional
Javanese sees woman as a second human behind
man, who stands on the lower level than man does.
1
As the faces of a duality, woman is subordinated as a
[Link]

74 Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra
[Link]
 THE CENTER vs. THE PERIPHERY IN CENTRAL- JAVANESE MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE (Tutin Aryanti)

complement to her husband. Traditional Islamic building for women’s praying called pawestren. It
Javanese society thought that progression and was popular for almost a century, but then
education only belonged to men who would be the Yogyakarta Great Mosque built the same facility in
leaders of their households and societies. Girls might the left side of the mosque with a full-height dividing
get Islamic education in preacher’s house until the age wall separating men’s area from women’s area.
of ten, while the rest would be their fathers’ Soon, this became a trend to make the mosques
responsibility. As Indonesia entered a new era as an opened to women.
independent nation, women’s position is getting better The location of pawestren in the mosques in
and better; even most people of Java are still thinking Central Java varies. The cultural differences between
that women do not need good education as men do. Islamic community of coastal and inland area have
created different pattern of gender segregation of
space between men and women in the mosques. In
coastal area, pawestren is generally located in a
separated space at the right side of the main praying
hall (liwan) allocated for men. While in inland area, in
the room, which initially occupied separated space at
the left side, is now shifting to the rear side of the
main praying hall (liwan). Almost all great mosques
place their pawestren on the left arm of the mosque.
The mosques of inland area probably take the great
mosques, which belonged to local old kingdom, as
their reference. Almost all old mosques in the area use
the same pattern the great mosques use.
Pawestren changes in position and physical
characteristics over time. Traditional mosques in rural
area usually provide a particular room which is
separated from the main room–occupied by men-by a
Fig 1. Loroblonyo representing the duality in
full-height wall. The mosques which were construc-
Javanese norms ted in the period of 1970s to 1990s did not use full
divider at all. In other words, the mosques did not
Muhammadiyah movement, which spread out provide particular space for women in the mosques. It
all over Central Java since 1925, has changed did not exist yet welcome women to pray in the
people’s perspective about women. Muhammadiyah mosques. The praying space was thus defined
tries to bring Javanese women into a better condition temporarily according to the activity and the number
and put them in an equal position as men have. In the of its attendance.
beginning of its struggle, Muhammadiyah used
community mosques as a media and place to teach EXAMINING PAWESTREN THROUGH
women and gave them gender consciousness that GENDER PERSPECTIVE
women had social role, besides their role in the
households. The emergence of pawestren (praying room for
The duality is shown in the traditional Javanese women) in the mosques of Central Java, Indonesia, in
house, which is spatially segregated based on local the beginning of the eighteenth century marked a
gender norms and varies on different events. The significant change of perception on women’s status
segregation can be described in the following figure 2. and role in Javanese Islamic community. Indepen-
dence moment of Indonesia may become a milestone
of the changes in Islamic architecture in Central Java,
PAWESTREN: AN OPPORTUNITY IN
generally in Indonesia. Mosque architecture, since
PUBLIC REALM
1970s has grown into a modern style, including
pawestren architecture itself. Pawestren is not placed
While mosques in most Muslim countries ban on the side of the mosque anymore, but on the
women to come and pray in the place, the mosques in balcony on the rear side of the main praying room.
Central Java have permitted women to come to the This style may open the divider that previously a full
mosques since the beginning of the eighteenth century wall into a half wall with railing. The other
when Demak Great Mosque2 provided a particular progression is the shifting of the left-side pawestren to
the rear part of the main praying room. Most mosques
2
Demak Sultanate was the first Muslim sultanate in Java (founded
do not use any screens to divide male and female
by Raden Patah in 1401). prayers.

Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra 75
[Link]
 DIMENSI TEKNIK ARSITEKTUR Vol. 34, No. 2, Desember 2006: 73 - 80

woman’s territory

man’s territory

man’s & woman’s

territory

Fig. 2. The spatial segregation of traditional Javanese house in everyday life

The existence of pawestren in the mosques at pattern is not found in the mosques of an area remote
least indicates a good intention of the society to from the palace, such as north coastal area.
acknowledge women’s existence in the community,
especially Islamic community. But it will not be so Center vs. Periphery
simple to judge that pawestren guarantees gender
Most traditional mosques of Central Java were
equality in the mosque. The next part of this paper
built without pawestren. The spaces for women were
will analyze how is gender relationship in the
generally provided after the mosques were operated
mosques of Central Java by the existence of
pawestren. for a certain period. The spaces were thus located in
the periphery of the mosques. Some rural mosques
The position of pawestren in the old mosque,
were constructed by taking the architecture of the
at least, is influenced by cultural norms held by local
society. Traditional Javanese norms place woman as great mosque nearby as a model, thus put the
the second person on the left side of man. The right pawestren on the side arm of the main room of the
mosque. The following figure describes that
side, in Javanese idea, symbolizes ‘male’, maleness
and powerful, which is then taking man as the pawestren is an unplanned annex of the mosque.
protector. While left symbolize ‘female’, femaleness, As an annex, pawestren is thus perceived as a
second-level space in the mosque, lower than the
weak, and thus occupied by someone who needs
main praying room, which is the most sacred space of
protection.
Local old kingdom plays an important role in the mosque. Hierarchy of space architecturally speaks
of the hierarchy of activity and who does the activity
this case. The great mosque built by the kingdom
within.
became a model for other community mosques
especially in architectural performance and manage-
ment. One can find the layout similarity between
kraton (king’s palace) and the great mosque. This

76 Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra
[Link]
 THE CENTER vs. THE PERIPHERY IN CENTRAL- JAVANESE MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE (Tutin Aryanti)

liwan (man’s territory)

pawestren
(woman’s territory)
serambi (man’s and
woman’s territories) –
dominated by men

Fig. 3. Demak Great Mosque

man’s territory (liwan)

woman’s territory
(pawestren)

man’s and woman’s territories,

yet dominated by men

Fig. 4. The spatial segregation in Demak Great Mosque, Central Java

Large Space vs. Small Space High Level vs. Low Level
Women occupy a smaller space, even a very Most of Central-Javanese mosques locate
small one, in the mosque. It is probably considered pawestren on the equal level to serambi (= verandah;
based on a perspective that women’s attendance in the Indonesian). While liwan (= the main praying room;
mosque is not an obligation. On the contrary, men Arabic) and pawestren are occupied for praying, the
have to attend the Prayers in the mosque, mainly the serambi itself is occupied for non-praying activities,
Friday Prayer. such as chatting, meeting, resting, even sleeping.

Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra 77
[Link]
 DIMENSI TEKNIK ARSITEKTUR Vol. 34, No. 2, Desember 2006: 73 - 80

Liwan man’s territory

pawestren
woman’s territory side serambi
man’s territory

Fig. 5. The section of Yogyakarta Great Mosque

liwan
the most sacred:
pawestren for men’s praying.
the less sacred:
for women’s praying, the
king’s resting place in
Garebeg ceremony.

serambi
the least sacred:
extended space for
praying, meeting, and
resting.

Fig. 6. The plan of Yogyakarta Great Mosque

“The Inside” vs. “the Outside” Mosque, pawestren is used annually as the king’s
place to rest in Garebeg ceremony. The king and his
There is a discrimination in local linguistic terms family usually eat some fruits in the pawestren after a
used for both spaces. The term “ngelebet” (= inside; long march of Garebeg routed from the kraton
Javanese) is used to refer liwan. Some non-praying (king’s palace) to Alun-alun (city square) and end up
activities, such as sleeping and resting, are forbidden at the great mosque.
to be done in liwan; on the contrary, they are allowed
in pawestren and serambi. In Yogyakarta Great

78 Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra
[Link]
 THE CENTER vs. THE PERIPHERY IN CENTRAL- JAVANESE MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE (Tutin Aryanti)

CLOSING NOTES: PAWESTREN AND consciousness to the society. We cannot put the
PSEUDO-GENDER EQUALITY stakeholders aside, too, since almost all mosques in
Central Java are dominated by certain persons as
Cultural diffusion between Islam and Javanese society leaders and convictions. Thus we can expect
culture seems to be a positive aspect in the entering more to pawestren to raise women’s existence in the
process of Islam to Javanese society. Unfortunately, mosque as a community center and in the society
the effects of the diffusion sacrifice Islamic principles. itself.
In the case of pawestren, women’s position in the
mosque is blurred and finally does not solve women’s
problem in gender relationship, what is more makes it
worse.

upstairs: pawestren
downstairs: liwan

Fig. 7. Pawestren is located on the balcony of the Fig. 8. The absence of pawestren: threating or
mosque encouraging gender equality?

Since 1970s, as the Indonesian and local REFERENCES

governments started to support Islamic activities,
mosque architects began to alter many ways in Al-Jamal, Ibrahim Muhammad, Fiqih Wanita. Sema-
solving the problems in previous position of rang: CV. Asy Syifa’. 1981.
pawestren. They introduced a balcony type of
pawestren considering the best solution, which allows Al-Qaradhawi, Yusuf, Tuntunan Membangun Masjid.
women privacy and avoids direct contact between Jakarta: Gema Insani Press. 2000.
men and women without subordinating women in Aryanti, Tutin, “Segregasi Ruang Masjid menurut
peripheral. Jender: Fenomena Munculnya Pawestren pada
The position of pawestren shows us that Masjid-Masjid di Jawa Tengah” Bandung:
women’s participation in mosques is still one rare Master thesis, Architecture, Institut Teknologi
policy. People opinion about the belonging of the Bandung. 2000.
mosque mainly to men is a wrong condition and thus
harmful to women. It is then a new dilemma that Atmadi, Parmono and Ismudiyanto, Demak, Kudus,
pawestren as a certain space with physical borders and Jepara Mosque : A Study of Architectural
will give women a certain place in the mosque but on Syncretism. Yogyakarta: Gajah Mada Univer-
sity. 1987.
the other hand, it bounds women’s interaction and
access with men. While pawestren as a temporary Baidan, Nashruddin, Tafsir bi Al-Ra’yi, Upaya Peng-
space in the main praying room may give wider galian Konsep Wanita dalam Al Qur’an.
access to women but also threaten their existence in Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar. 1999
the mosque because of the absent of the certain space.
Pawestren as gender segregation of space is a Geertz, Clifford, Abangan, Santri, Priyayi Dalam
Masyarakat Jawa. Jakarta: PT. Dunia Pustaka
good potential in Islamic society beyond gender
Jaya. 1981.
equality. Architecture and architect with their
technology and knowledge should be the supporter to Idris, Irzaidi, “Pengaruh Kosmologi Hindu-Budha
gain the ideal condition and spatially gives pada Masjid Awal di Jawa” Bandung: Master

Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra 79
[Link]
 DIMENSI TEKNIK ARSITEKTUR Vol. 34, No. 2, Desember 2006: 73 - 80

thesis, Architecture, Institut Teknologi Ban- Supriyadi, Bambang, “Studi Perkembangan Morfo-
dung. 1994. logi Bangunan Masjid di Pesisir Wetan Pantai
Utara Jawa Tengah” Bandung: Master thesis,
Ismail, Akel Kahira, Deconstructing the American Architecture, Institut Teknologi Bandung.
Mosque: Space, Gender, and Aesthetics. 1991.
Austin: University of Texas Press. 2002.
Suryochondro, Sukanti, Potret Pergerakan Wanita di
Izzat, Hibbah Rauf, Wanita dan Politik Pandangan Indonesia. Jakarta: Penerbit CV. Rajawali.
Islam. Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya. 1984.
1997.
Susanto, Budi and Praptodiharja, Sudiarja (eds), Citra
Kühnel, Ernst, Islamic Art and Architecture. New Wanita dalam Kekuasaan (Jawa). Yogya-
York: Cornell University Press. 1966. karta: Penerbit Kanisius. 1992.
Lombard, Denys, Nusa Jawa: Silang Budaya, Bagian Umar, Nasaruddin, Argumen Kesetaraan Jender,
II: Jaringan Asia. Jakarta: PT Gramedia Perspektif Al-Quran. Jakarta: Penerbit Parama-
Pustaka Utama. 1996. dina. 1999.
Magnis-Suseno, Franz, Etika Jawa, Sebuah Analisa van Bruinessen, Martin, NU, Tradisi, Relasi-Relasi
Falsafi tentang Kebijaksanaan Hidup Jawa. Kuasa, Pencarian Wacana Baru. Yogyakarta:
Jakarta: PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama. 1984. LkiS. 1994.
Mahmudah, Konsep Wanita Karir Menurut Pan- Wajcman, Judy, Feminism Confronts Technology
dangan Etika Jawa Yogyakarta: Fakultas Cambridge: Polity Press. 1991/93.
Filsafat Universitas Gajah Mada. 1997.
Wekerle, Gerda R (eds), New Space for Women.
Matrix, Making Space – Women and The Man-made Colorado: Westview Press, Inc. 1980.
Environment. London: Pluto Press Limited.
1984. [Link]
sp?ID=264
Michell, George (ed), Architecture of The Islamic
World, Its History and Social Meaning. [Link]
London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. 1978. g=E&id=40156
Moedjanto, G, Konsep Kekuasaan Jawa, Penerapan-
nya Oleh Raja-Raja Mataram. Yogyakarta:
Penerbit Kanisius. 1987.
Muqoffa, M., “Aspek Jender pada Dalem Bangsawan
Di Surakarta” Bandung: Master thesis, Archi-
tecture, Institut Teknologi Bandung.1998.
Murata, Sachiko, The Tao of Islam, Kitab Rujukan
tentang Relasi Gender dalam Kosmologi dan
Teologi Islam. Bandung: Mizan. 1996.
Rapoport, Amos, House Form and Culture. New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1969.
——— (ed), The Mutual Interaction of People and
Their Built Environment, A Cross Culture
Perspective. Paris: Mouton Publishers. 1976.
Robinson, Francis, Atlas of The Islamic World Since
1500. Oxford: Phaidon Press Ltd. 1982.
Soeratman, Darsiti, Kehidupan Dunia Kraton Sura-
karta 1830 – 1939. Yogyakarta: Penerbit
Tamansiswa. 1989.
Spain, Daphne, Gendered Spaces. Chapel Hill and
London: The University of North California
Press. 1992.

80 Jurusan Teknik Arsitektur, Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Perencanaan - Universitas Kristen Petra
[Link]

View publication stats