| The earliest tangible evidence of Islam in Java is to be found in the village of Leran, just off the main road at Manyar, near Gresik. Here can be found the tombs of a number of 'princesses', the most famous being Fatimah binti Maimun, affectionately referred to as 'Nyai Siti Fatimah' by the caretaker of the graves. The date of her death, recorded on the tombstone, is 475 H., equivalent to A.D. 1082. A short distance away, within the same complex, are some mysterious Kubur panjang, or 'long graves', measuring nine metres in length. According to the caretaker, whose family has guarded the mausoleum for six generations. these are the resting places of Siti Fatimah's friends and relatives. |
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