Arya News - A Jakarta exhibition traces more than three centuries of shared history, from Indonesian exiles and enslaved people who helped shape the South African city to the spread of Islam and the legacy of influential Muslim scholars.
JAKARTA – Photographs of Cape Town, a coastal city in South Africa, feature in There Was Something Here Before, an interactive multimedia exhibition by Zahira Asmal at Erasmus Huis in South Jakarta. Opened in early October, the exhibition explores historical connections between Cape Town and Indonesia spanning more than three centuries.
One photograph shows Saunders Rock, a seaside area once reserved exclusively for white people. It opened to all racial groups only in the late 1980s, following repeated protests by anti-apartheid activists.
In a note beside the photograph, Asmal, an urbanist and director of The City, an independent research, publishing and place-making agency founded in 2010, writes that the series captures a public space whose accessibility was hard-won. It also shows how apartheid-era urban planning continues to shape Cape Town.
Alongside the photographs, the exhibition features archival materials, sound and art documenting the city’s history and the communities that have shaped it, reflecting the exhibition’s title, There Was Something Here Before.
“The exhibition invites us to think about who really shapes a city. Who builds it, cares for it, brings knowledge, creates culture and fights to make it home?” Asmal said in a statement released by the Culture Ministry.
The exhibition runs at Erasmus Huis in South Jakarta until Dec. 23.
“The exhibition invites us to consider who shapes a city: who builds it, cares for it, brings knowledge, creates culture and fights to make it home.” — Zahira Asmal, urbanist
Indonesians in Cape Town
Indonesia and South Africa have shared historical ties for more than three centuries, shaped by Dutch colonialism, which brought exiled and enslaved people from the Indonesian archipelago to Cape Town.
They helped build the city, bringing knowledge, beliefs, languages, food, skills and traditions. Asmal traces their origins to Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and other islands.
“Many of them came from Indonesia and continue to shape life in Cape Town today. I hope this exhibition helps us recognize and appreciate their contributions and history,” Asmal said.
Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Marc Gerritsen said the exhibition presents historical narratives connecting Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
These histories, he said, can be understood not only through documents and archives but also through memories, objects, sounds and photographs that reveal experiences across generations.
“History holds many stories, but they are not all told in the same voice or heard equally. For us, this exhibition is a way to connect with history while creating space for reflection,” Gerritsen said. “The story of Sheikh Yusuf and the Cape Malay community reminds us that many shared historical traces remain to be recognized and must not be forgotten.”
Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the exhibition revisits shared history through art, research and dialogue, bringing Indonesia, the Netherlands and South Africa together through their interconnected histories and cultures.
He also praised Asmal for encouraging visitors to explore the layers of memory, community and history that shape a city.
Faith in frames: Archival materials and photographs of Auwal Mosque are displayed at the exhibition on Oct. 8, 2026. South Africa’s oldest mosque, it was a center of Islamic learning where Imam Abdullah ibn Qadi Abdus Salaam, known as Tuan Guru, taught Islam and the Quran. PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST
The spread of Islam
The migration of people from the archipelago to South Africa under Dutch colonial rule also helped spread Islam in Cape Town.
One prominent figure linking the two countries was Sheikh Yusuf al-Makassari.
After supporting Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa in his resistance against the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Banten, Sheikh Yusuf was captured by the Dutch in 1683 and exiled to Sri Lanka the following year, Fadli said.
In 1693, the Dutch transferred him to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Despite being far from his homeland, Sheikh Yusuf continued teaching Islam and became an influential figure in the local community.
“His exile was intended to separate him from the people and networks that had supported his struggle. Yet his ideas and influence endured,” Fadli said. “In Cape Town, he continued teaching and became a center of spiritual and community life. His legacy remains visible today through his revered burial site and the community shaped by his history and memory.”
Legacy across oceans: A stamp featuring the Kramat of Sheikh Yusuf of Makassar is displayed at the exhibition on Oct. 8, 2026. Exiled by the Dutch to South Africa in the 17th century, the Muslim scholar helped spread Islam in the country. PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST
One archival item in the exhibition is a stamp bearing an image of the Kramat of Sheikh Yusuf al-Makassari, a sacred site associated with the influential figure.
Asmal describes Sheikh Yusuf as one of the VOC’s most influential political prisoners in South Africa. His ideas traveled across the Indian Ocean, connecting Makassar and the Cape through shared histories of resistance, faith and solidarity.
A scholar, military leader and Sufi teacher, Sheikh Yusuf established a community of followers at Zandvliet, in present-day Macassar, Western Cape, near Cape Town, after arriving in the city in 1694.
He inspired enslaved people, political exiles and free Muslims across the Cape. His teachings, writings and example helped shape the early development of Islam in South Africa and contributed to traditions of learning that later gave rise to Arabic-Afrikaans.
Another Indonesian-born Islamic scholar featured in this shared history is Imam Abdullah ibn Qadi Abdus Salaam, known in Cape Town as Tuan Guru. He was born in Tidore, in present-day North Maluku.
His legacy lives on at Auwal Mosque, South Africa’s oldest mosque, established in 1794. The mosque became a center of learning where Tuan Guru taught Islam and the Quran, helping lay the foundations of Cape Muslim society.
It also houses a Quran believed to have been written by Tuan Guru from memory while he was imprisoned on Robben Island, preserving religious knowledge under conditions intended to suppress it.
The stories of Sheikh Yusuf, Tuan Guru and generations of Indonesians who crossed the Indian Ocean reveal a history that remains part of Cape Town today. Through photographs, archival materials and personal accounts, There Was Something Here Before traces how their journeys, beliefs and struggles helped shape the city.