Sumenep: Its Unique History, Society, and Culture

Madura Island, with all its attractions, comprises four regencies stretching from the western tip to the eastern tip and vice versa. Starting from the western tip is Bangkalan Regency, followed by Sampang Regency, then Pamekasan Regency, and finally, at the eastern tip, Sumenep Regency. This regency, which comprises 126 islands—48 of which are inhabited and 78 uninhabited (Sumenep Regency Population and Civil Registration Office, 2025)—is, in fact, the only one in Madura and East Java with a historical legacy of a royal palace and historical ties to the Singasari and Majapahit Kingdoms. Architectural remnants and artifacts from the era of the Sumenep Royal Palace remain preserved to this day and serve as educational resources through the establishment of the Sumenep Royal Palace Museum. This is a brief overview from a historical perspective. From a sociocultural perspective, Sumenep possesses a wealth of unique characteristics and local wisdom that are certainly found only in this one regency in Madura, which portrays itself as “The Soul of Madura” (Ciputra, 2022). This article will explore the historical, social, and cultural uniqueness of the people of Sumenep from a contemporary perspective.

Picture`s Source: Private Document

Handwritten Quran Manuscript by Sultan Abdurrahman, King of Sumenep

One of the items in the collection of the Sumenep Royal Palace Museum is a handwritten Quran manuscript by the 32nd King of Sumenep, Sultan Abdurrahman. I first learned of this during a visit to the Sumenep Royal Palace Museum on November 9, 2023. According to credible sources, Sultan Abdurrahman wrote this Quran in installments—that is, he wrote it each night after performing the Tahajud prayer (Warid, 2026). One source notes that to write this legendary Quran manuscript, Sultan Abdurrahman had his children take turns holding a torch to illuminate the writing process (Farhan & Esha, 2015). This masterpiece of a handwritten Quran by Sultan Abdurrahman, who ruled Sumenep from 1811 to 1854, can still be admired by museum visitors today. It is located in Building III of the Sumenep Royal Palace Museum (Rizky, 2026). Another unique feature of this manuscript is that the paper remains intact despite being hundreds of years old; there are no signs of paper aging or peeling. This indicates that an extraordinary force has helped preserve the existence and continuity of this historical legacy from the 32nd King of Sumenep.

The story of the Quran manuscript by Sultan Abdurrahman carries a profound message of wisdom that deserves to be a source of reflection for all of us—especially the younger generation and today’s leaders. It teaches us that as we navigate the ship of life, which is full of waves and uncertainty, our compass is religion. Its foundation is the holy book, for it serves as the bedrock and guide for humanity in fulfilling whatever roles people may undertake. For example, if someone is entrusted with the responsibility of leadership, that individual should make the holy Quran the foundation of their leadership.

Sultan Abdurrahman set a very clear example of how a Muslim leader should fulfill his role in accordance with the standards of Islamic teachings. He devoted his nights to worship, drawing closer to the Almighty Creator, Allah S.W.T., prostrating himself to seek guidance and strength in leading the people under his care.

The Keris as a Symbol of Sumenep’s Cultural Identity

The keris is an icon and a symbol of the cultural identity of the people of Sumenep Regency. One of the significant steps taken by Sumenep authorities to promote keris culture is to position Sumenep Regency as the “City of the Keris.” This initiative aims to reinforce the image of Sumenep as a hub for keris craftsmen. If you visit Sumenep, the “City of the Keris” theme is clearly reflected in many key elements of important infrastructure at strategic locations throughout the regency. You’ll encounter decorative lamps featuring keris motifs, signs reading “Welcome to the City of the Keris!”, and keris carvings in various corners of Sumenep.

In my view, the Sumenep Regency Government is deeply committed to concrete efforts to preserve, promote, and realize all good intentions for the advancement of keris culture. The Sumenep Regency Government has undertaken various tangible efforts and steps to advance keris culture, including through regular activities outlined in a scheduled annual calendar and through the construction of physical infrastructure. One of the most monumental projects is the construction of the Arya Wiraraja Keris Monument in Pragaan Village, Pragaan Laok Subdistrict, Sumenep Regency, which was officially inaugurated on January 30, 2025, by the Minister of Culture (Menbud) of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon (Busri, 2025). On that occasion, Minister Fadli stated that Sumenep Regency deserves to be called the world capital of the keris. According to him, with 600 active master craftsmen—who can produce more than 2,000 keris per month—Sumenep is the only regency in the world capable of such production, making the title “World Capital of the Keris” a fitting designation for Sumenep Regency (Aziz, 2025).

The recognition expressed by Minister of Culture Fadli essentially reinforces the recognition and acknowledgment previously granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 2014, UNESCO—the UN agency for education, science, and culture—recognized Sumenep Regency as the “City of the Keris” because the regency is home to the world’s largest number of master keris craftsmen (Prasetya, 2025). The reinforcement of Sumenep’s identity as the “City of Keris” is achieved not only through the construction of physical infrastructure—such as the Arya Wiraraja Keris Monument, honoring the first Adipati of the Sumenep Kingdom who played a crucial role during the final years of the Singasari Kingdom and the founding of the Majapahit Kingdom (Sumenep Regency Government, 20017)— but also through other concrete and relevant measures that support the development of the keris cultural ecosystem in Sumenep.

For example, the Sumenep authorities have compiled an annual calendar of events that includes a special agenda for keris preservation, such as organizing a “penjamasan” or purification ceremony for keris heirlooms as a routine annual activity that must be carried out by the Sumenep Regency Government during the month of Syura or Muharram and is open to the general public (Mukhlisah, 2024). Furthermore, the local government also regularly holds keris exhibitions that invite and involve students, artisans, cultural figures, and keris enthusiasts (Rahman, 2023). 

The Sumenep Regency Government also supports the sustainability of the keris tourism village located in Aeng Tong Tong Village, Saronggi District, Sumenep Regency. In 2022, Aeng Tong Tong Village achieved national recognition as the First-Place Winner in the “Tourist Attraction” category at the annual Indonesian Tourism Village Awards organized by the Ministry of Tourism (Nashrullah, 2022). This achievement by Aeng Tong Tong Village did not happen overnight. It is the result of a long process and sustained hard work. This village is home to many highly dedicated master keris craftsmen. They devote their lives to preserving the culture of the keris by continuing to produce them every day.

On May 27, 2025, I had the opportunity to visit the Aeng Tong-Tong Keris Tourism Village. I witnessed firsthand the tenacity of the keris craftsmen in that village as they crafted their keris. With joy and meticulous care, they forged the extremely hard iron until it took the form of a beautiful keris of cultural and artistic value. During this cultural tour, I also had the chance to meet and interact with one of Sumenep’s female keris masters, who happens to be a native of Aeng Tong Tong Village. Her name is Ika Arista. At that time, Empu Ika and I spoke at length about the achievements of the Aeng Tong Tong Keris Tourism Village in 2022 and also discussed the daily lives of the keris craftsmen in the village. From what I observed, the keris masters in Aeng Tong Tong Village—who, in terms of numbers, are the most numerous in the world—also serve as role models for perseverance, responsibility, and consistency in pursuing their profession as creators of keris with high cultural and artistic value.

During my interaction with Empu Ika while visiting the award-winning village of Aeng Tong Tong, I also discussed the presence of the Aeng Tong Tong keris at the 2022 G20 summit. This is because, in addition to its achievement as the national champion in the “tourist village” category for visitor attraction, the keris from Aeng Tong Tong Tourist Village was also used as a souvenir for delegates at the G20 Summit—a gathering of 19 developed and developing nations plus the European Union, representing the world’s fastest-growing economies—held in Bali in November 2022 (Hakim, 2022). This fact demonstrates that Sumenep’s local products have successfully gone global and been embraced by the international community. The uniqueness and local wisdom of Aeng Tong Tong Village have successfully proven a crucial point: that the good intention to preserve culture will transcend space, time, limitations, and the impossible. This narrative conveys the message that we must always preserve the positive cultural heritage of our ancestors, regardless of our status or gender. Men and women are equal in rights and obligations, including equal roles and opportunities in the sustainable preservation and advancement of local culture.

Pasir Village

This unique sociocultural phenomenon is truly remarkable. Numerous local and national media outlets—and most recently, international media such as the Associated Press (2025)—have covered the unique “Pasir Village” located in Legung Barat Village, Legung Timur Timur Village, and Dapenda Village, Batang-Batang Subdistrict, Sumenep Regency. What makes this village unique is the local wisdom of its residents, who continue the tradition of “sand mattresses”—using sand as a mattress or sleeping surface and carrying out their daily activities on it (Alangkara & Tarigan, 2025). In the three villages mentioned above, the residents actually live in standard single-story houses, much like most homes. There are living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and porches. They also have kapok or foam mattresses as is common, although in daily practice these mattresses serve only as an accessory because the residents there find it more comfortable to sleep on a bed of sand. They have chosen to live this way because they adhere to a deeply meaningful philosophy: that humans come from the earth and will return to the earth (Rachmawati, 2025).

It is this belief that helps inspire the residents of Kampung Pasir to continue the traditions of their ancestors. The culture of the sand bed teaches the residents of Kampung Pasir to always remember where humanity comes from, thereby reminding them that death will come in due time. At all times, through daily activities such as sleeping, resting, and lying down on the sand, their bodies come into direct contact with the sand—which is nothing other than a metaphor for the earth. This signifies that death, symbolized by the earth, is indeed real; it is near, ever-present, and will surely claim every human being. This is the philosophy behind sleeping on sand as practiced by the people of Kampung Pasir.

Furthermore, what sets the homes of Kampung Pasir residents apart from other houses is that their unique homes feature gaps in the floor where the sand is left exposed. This is commonly found in rooms, kitchens, yards, and even on village roads. On top of this sand, residents typically socialize, rest, relax, play, sleep, gather, and some have even given birth on the soft “sand mattress,” which they believe brings blessings (Kumparan, 2018).

For your information, the sand used to make the residents’ mattresses in the three villages of Kampung Pasir is all fine, clean, and soft because they obtain it from Lombang Beach—about three kilometers from their homes, a 10-minute drive away —the sand is then washed with fresh water, sun-dried, sifted, and filtered to select only the finest grains, resulting in stunningly beautiful sand (GoSumenep, 2025). In practice, this sand serves multiple purposes: during hot weather, the sand used as flooring and bedding in the homes of Kampung Pasir residents provides a cooling effect. When the weather is cold, the sand provides warmth. This tradition of using sand as a mattress has been passed down from generation to generation and continues to this day.

The residents believe that the sand-mat culture holds its own blessings, such as the ability to heal and ward off illnesses like rheumatism, back pain, muscle aches, and itching (Hendra, 2020). Scientifically speaking, the choice of the residents of Kampung Pasir to consistently preserve the sand-mat culture—without them even realizing it—actually has a remarkably solid scientific foundation. Based on scientific data, sand apparently contains aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, and lead, which can improve blood circulation, keep the body’s metabolism constantly renewed, and boost the immune system (Nurrahim, n.d.). Given all these unique characteristics, benefits, and properties, it is hardly surprising that the people of Kampung Pasir continue to preserve the sand-bed culture and maintain it to this day. They firmly uphold the motto, “Ranjang e pajheng, beddih e gheller,” which means “the bed is set out, the sand is spread” (Azhar, 2016). This is the life motto that guides the daily lives of the residents of Kampung Pasir in Legung Barat Village, Legung Timur, Dapenda, Batang-Batang Subdistrict, Sumenep Regency, Madura.

References

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Alim, M.Z. 9 November 2023. Foto Mushaf Al-Quran Tulisan Tangan Sultan Abdurrahman

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Taufiqurrahman, 16 Oktober. Foto Suasana Warga Desa Legung Sumenep Tidur di Atas Pasir. Kompas.com, https://www.kompas.com/jawa-timur/read/2025/10/16/060000688/unik-warga-desa-legung-sumenep-tidur-di-atas-pasir-katanya-bikin?page=all  

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Informal Interview:

Ika Arista, 35, Empu Keris, Desa Aeng Tong-Tong Saronggi, Sumenep