Jejak Ulama Nusantara di Afrika, Indonesia Bangun Museum Syekh Yusuf Al Makassari di Cape Town

Fadli Zon inaugurated supporting the acceleration of the construction of the Syekh Yusuf Al Makassari Museum and the Indonesian Cultural House in Cape Town, South Africa. (IST)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Culture has accelerated Indonesian cultural diplomacy through the plan to build the Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari Museum and the Indonesian Cultural House in Cape Town, South Africa. This step is part of the 400th anniversary of Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari as well as strengthening the history of Indonesia across continents.

The plan was conveyed by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon in a media briefing "400 Years of Syekh Yusuf Al Makassari" in Jakarta, Wednesday (23/12/2025). The museum will be built across from the tomb of Syekh Yusuf, with the aim of reviving the cultural ecosystem and strengthening the narrative of Indonesian history in South Africa.

Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari is referred to as a scholar, fighter, and moral figure whose role crosses Indonesia, Sri Lanka, to South Africa. The government considers his actions relevant as a bridge of cultural diplomacy based on history and human values.

"Next year we target the works of Sheikh Yusuf to be included in the UNESCO Memory of the World. This is a form of respect for his thinking and determination in his struggle," said Fadli. He emphasized that the museum in Cape Town will be a center for learning and cultural interaction.

The Ministry of Culture has also prepared cooperation with the South African Government and the South Sulawesi Provincial Government to hold book discussions, seminars, and literacy programs about Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari, so that his ideas reach a wider public.

Director General of Diplomacy, Promotion, and Cultural Cooperation, Endah T.D. Retnoastuti, stated that the 400th anniversary of the birth of Sheikh Yusuf has a strategic significance for strengthening mutual understanding of history across countries.

In terms of academics, UIN Alauddin Makassar Professor Emeritus Prof. Mustari assessed the religious ethics and the preaching of Sheikh Yusuf as relevant to respond to the challenges of radicalism and dehumanization. Meanwhile, the National Library of Indonesia's philologist Aditya Gunawan said that the proposal of the Sheikh Yusuf manuscript to the Memory of the World was carried out together with Leiden University, covering eight manuscripts from Indonesia and the Netherlands.

The construction of the Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari Museum is positioned as a concrete step of Indonesian cultural diplomacy - not a ceremonial one - which links history, education, and cross-country research collaboration.