Jakarta – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon today made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makassari in Macassar, Cape Town, South Africa. The pilgrimage was carried out on the sidelines of attending the G20 culture ministers’ meeting in South Africa. This visit is an important momentum to strengthen historical and cultural relations between Indonesia and South Africa through plans to build the Syaikh Yusuf Indonesian Cultural House. This cultural house is planned to be built on an area of ​​2,000 square meters around the grave complex. Syekh Yusuf, also known as Abadin Tadia Tjoesup, was born in Makassar in 1626. He was the cousin of the king of Gowa, Sultan Alauddin, the first king of Gowa who converted to Islam in 1603. Besides being a cleric, Syekh Yusuf was also known as a leader of resistance against Dutch colonial Asia. When Makassar fell into the hands of the VOC, he sailed to Banten in 1664 and married the daughter of Sultan Abdul Fatah Ageng Tirtayasa. Scroll TO CONTINUE CONTENT “Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makassari’s struggle until he was imprisoned in Batavia and then transferred to Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) until he was exiled to the Cape of Good Hope (Cape of Good Hope) South Africa, because of his strong influence in fighting his value in colonialism. and colonialism,” Fadli said in a written statement on Friday (10/31/2025). On 27 June 1693, Sheikh Yusuf was received by Governor Simon van der Stel and placed in honor of his origins on the Zandvliet farm, on the banks of the Eerste River which later became known as Macassar. In Zandvliet, Sheikh Yusuf used his exile as a field for preaching. He opened a refuge for runaway slaves and formed South Africa’s first Muslim community. From this place, Islamic teachings spread widely to Cape Town and its surroundings, making Sheikh Yusuf the Father of Islam in South Africa until he died on 23 May 1699 at the age of 73. “Shaikh Yusuf Al-Makassari is a bridge of civilization between the archipelago and South Africa. Nations that have existed for hundreds of years,” he said. For your information, Fadli Zon was accompanied on this occasion by the Indonesian Consul General in Cape Town, Tudiono, as well as community leaders and local historians such as Imam Adam of the Nurul Latief Mosque and Ebrahim Rhoda, a researcher in Islamic history in Cape Town. Also watch the video ‘Crazy! Indonesia wins 1st place in South Korean Culture Parade’: (akn/ega)