The impact of historic building toward regional sustainability: Case study Menara Kudus, Indonesia

Menara Kudus area marks the beginning of Kudus City, Central Java, Indonesia. The area is famous for its many historic buildings, including Menara Kudus, Al Aqsa Mosque, the traditional Kudus house, and Sunan Kudus tomb complex. Menara Kudus area is an area visited by pilgrims and tourists. In addition, there are many “pesantren” in the surrounding area that make this area never look deserted. Economic development thrives around the area but doesn’t necessarily change physical setting. This study was designed to describe the impact of historic buildings in Menara Kudus area on the sustainability of the surrounding area. The method used in this research is qualitative interpretive descriptive, which analyzes field data using 3 aspects of sustainability which is economic, social and environmental fields. The analysis phase is carried out through 3 stages. The first stage is the explanation and description of historic buildings around the Holy Tower. The second stage, discuss and describe the economic, social, and environmental aspects around the Menara Kudus. The third stage, interpretation to see the impact toward surrounding area. The results of this study show there are significant influence between historic buildings and the sustainability of the area, especially on the economic aspect. Crowds of pilgrims and tourists visiting the Menara Kudus area make economic activity in the surrounding area flourish. Likewise, with the presence of “santri” from outside the Kudus area which is in the vicinity of Menara Kudus. The existence of a institution that manages the Mosque, the Tomb, and Menara Kudus and the Kudus Cultural Heritage Team makes this area neatly arranged so that it supports the sustainability of the region.

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