SURABAYA Ali Azhar Damarrosydi, or better known as Ali Azhar D, is a content creator from Surabaya who actively educates the public about the history and culture of the hero city. Through a digital platform, he has succeeded in combining passion, education, and technology in his work, making him an inspirational figure for the younger generation.
Ali studied at MTs Excellent Amanatul Ummah (2016-2020) and MA CI or Acceleration Amanatul Ummah Surabaya (2020-2022). The pesantren environment provided a strong foundation in understanding religion and noble values which then colored his views on his work. After graduating, he continued his studies at Ciputra University, Surabaya, initially majoring in Information System and Business (ISB) in 2022, before finally turning to Communication Science in 2023.
From the pesantren, I rarely go out. After graduating, I just explored this city of my birth,' said Ali, telling the story of the beginning of his interest in the history of Surabaya.
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In creating its content, Ali conducts in-depth research by relying on three main sources: Surabaya Sightseeing and City Tour tour guides, the book Soerabia Tempo Doeloe by Dukut Imam Widodo, as well as direct interviews with the caretaker and local community. With this method, the content becomes informative and authentic.
"I want to create historical content because I want to educate the people of Surabaya about the history of the city, or maybe it can be used as a reference," said Ali.
Ali is not only superior in the digital world, but also in the academic field. In 2022, he won a Student With The Most Credit Point award from Ciputra University Surabaya. His achievements continued at Fikomrade's Day Commchella 2024, where he won the category The Most Viewed Campaign Video in Intercultural Communication from Prof. Burhan Bungin.
In the world of film, Ali also contributed as a behind the scene (BTS) team in the film Spiral by director Rosihan Amril Farouqi from 8 Scene Pictures. This film was successfully included as an Official Selection at the Indonesia Western Australia Film Festival (IWAFF) 2025 and the Young Moviement Award 2024.
The experience of being involved in the production of the film Spiral is very valuable to me. I learned a lot about the process of making films and how a story can be visualized nicely," said Ali.
Collaboration With Local Government And Media
Ali's work has penetrated various fields, including public service advertisements (ILM) in collaboration with the Surabaya City Government. One of the projects is ILM about the dangers of illegal online loans (Pinjol - Gali Lubang Lumup Lubang). He is also involved in PT Sumber Plastik's video company and various other projects.
Ali often collaborates with the Surabaya City Disbudporapar as well as local media such as @thesubdaily and @dina_surabaya to educate the public about history, tourism and culture.
"Collaboration with various parties is very important to expand the reach of education and have a greater impact on society," said Ali.
As a celebrity, Ali is known to be selective in accepting endorsements. He only accepts offers related to culture, youth, sports, and tourism (Budporapar), showing his commitment to promoting positive values.
In addition to historical content, Ali also made a vlog a day in my life and discussed the Surabaya Sighting and City Tour (SSCT) Bus service belonging to the Surabaya City Government.
One of the important moments on Ali's journey was his collaboration with the Deputy Mayor of Surabaya, Armuji, in making an ILM about illegal online loans. Initially it was a college assignment, this project was successfully realized and the video can now be watched on Ali Azhar D's YouTube channel.
"Collaboration with the Deputy Mayor is an extraordinary experience. I am proud to be able to contribute to educating the public about the dangers of illegal borrowing," he said.
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Ali also participated in the Cak and Ning tourism ambassadors in the City of Surabaya 2024. Even though he did not win the title, he considered the experience a valuable lesson.
"Failure in Cak and Ning is not the end of everything. In fact, from there I learned many things and became more motivated to continue working," he said.
As a graduate of Islamic boarding schools, Ali has a strong religious understanding and often shares his religious insights in his content. For him, history, culture, and spiritual values must go hand in hand.
"Education in Islamic boarding schools provides a very valuable provision for me. Religious values are the basis for every step I take," he said.
With his passion and dedication, Ali Azhar D continues to work and make a positive contribution to society. He proved that the younger generation can play an active role in preserving history and culture through digital platforms.
Digitalization of history is not just a trend, but a necessity,' said Ali, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the times.
The story of Ali Azhar D has inspired many people, proving that with determination and hard work, dreams can be realized and have a positive impact on the surrounding environment.
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