Travel Guide Demak

Located 25 km east of Semarang, on the road to Surabaya, the village of Demak was the capital of Java's first Muslim state. Following its conquest of Cirebon in 1475, then Palembang in Sumatra, Demak became Muslim under the command of Raden Patah, whose armies succeeded in defeating the Majapahit kingdom in 1520. The town is home to the island's oldest mosque, Mesjid Agung, built in 1466; one of the archipelago's main sacred sites, the mosque is the object of numerous pilgrimages. Other attractions include Morosari beach in the Sayung district, a mangrove coastline with stunning scenery.