Following the Path of Interfaith Harmony: 128 UIN Jakarta History Students Visit Jakarta Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque
Jakarta, UIN Online News – As part of their fieldwork for "The Ciputat Intellectual Network" course, 128 students from the Islamic History and Civilization (SPI) program at the Faculty of Adab and Humanities (FAH), UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, visited the Jakarta Cathedral and the Istiqlal Mosque on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
The course, taught by Prof. Jajang Jahroni and Tati Rohayati, aims to provide students with a firsthand understanding of history, sacred spaces, and the practical application of tolerance within Indonesia's pluralistic society. Comprising second-semester students across three classes, the delegation was guided through the Cathedral Museum by a museum curator named Lily, who explained the historical and architectural layout of the site.
Professor of Islamic Cultural History and course lecturer, Prof. Jajang Jahroni, noted that spaces like the Cathedral, the Istiqlal Mosque, and the connecting Tunnel of Friendship function as vital social laboratories for understanding Indonesian diversity.
"It is not enough for students to simply read about history in textbooks. They need to be physically present to witness how tolerance and interfaith relationships are practiced in daily life," he explained.
Supporting this view, FAH lecturer Tati Rohayati added that field visits offer a contextual and deeply reflective approach to historical education. In her view, history students must experience civilization through social interactions and interfaith dialogue spaces rather than relying solely on written texts.
"Our students need to observe firsthand how history, religion, and tolerance coexist in our society's social fabric. This visit serves as an effective mechanism to build a more open-minded, critical, and humanistic perspective," she stated.
During the educational tour, the students gained deep insights into the long history of Christianity in Indonesia, viewed collections of liturgical artifacts, and explored the Cathedral’s historical connection to Indonesia's national movement.
Furthermore, the students walked through the famous Tunnel of Friendship (Terowongan Silaturahmi), an underground passageway physically linking the Jakarta Cathedral to the Istiqlal Mosque. The tour guide emphasized that this tunnel stands as a powerful structural symbol of the harmonious relationship between two of the largest houses of worship in the country.
As prominent hubs for cross-cultural and interfaith dialogue, the Istiqlal Mosque and the Jakarta Cathedral offered a perfect setting to validate classroom theories. One of the participating students, Fauzan, shared that the visit was an invaluable academic highlight.
"This field trip is an extraordinary experience because we get to study Islam, history, and tolerance beyond the classroom, experiencing the living harmony directly on the ground," he remarked.
This educational visit is expected to reinforce national insight, promote religious moderation, and foster a lifelong attitude of pluralistic tolerance among future historians.