Gresik Regent Accompanies Samarkand Governor on Pilgrimage to Maulana Malik Ibrahim's Tomb
Tempo Info - The Regent of Gresik, Fandi Akhmad Yani, accompanied the Uzbekistan delegation led by the Governor of Samarkand, Adiz Muzafarovich Boboyev, during a pilgrimage to the tomb of Maulana Malik Ibrahim in Gresik on Sunday, 5 April 2026.
The visit forms part of efforts to strengthen historical, cultural, and spiritual relations between Indonesia and Uzbekistan. Furthermore, this agenda opens opportunities for cooperation in religious tourism, the exchange of Islamic knowledge, and the economic development of both regions.
“We warmly welcome this visit and hope that Gresik will become increasingly known as a global destination for religious pilgrimages,” stated Regent Yani.
On this occasion, the Gresik Regency Government also introduced various local culinary specialties, such as nasi krawu, pudak, and the traditional drink legen, as part of promoting the richness of local culture to international guests.
Rofi Eka Shanty, representative of international relations at the Imam Bukhari Center, explained that the visit also aims to reconnect the sanad or familial lineage of major Islamic figures across countries.
“Today, we are accompanying the Governor of Samarkand to meet with the Regent of Gresik in order to reconnect the sanad between Maulana Malik Ibrahim and Bahauddin Sogarji (Shaghir), whose tomb is located in Samarkand,” she clarified.
She added that this visit serves as an important milestone because it brings international recognition to the lineage and history of Maulana Malik Ibrahim. This connection also involves other prominent figures such as Sunan Ampel, Syekh Jumadil Kubro, and Ibrahim As-Samarqandi, who has ties to Syekh As-Sogarji in Uzbekistan.
As a form of strengthening historical studies, the Uzbekistan delegation presented a book containing this lineage to the Gresik Regency Government. The book is currently available in Uzbek and is in the process of being translated into English and Indonesian.
In the warm meeting, potential economic cooperation between Gresik and Samarkand was also discussed. Governor Boboyev expressed interest in Gresik’s manufacturing sector, particularly the processing of copper and gold, which are leading export commodities.
The Governor of Samarkand also invited the Regent of Gresik to make a return visit to Samarkand, not only for pilgrimage but also to explore broader cooperation involving business actors from both regions.
The delegation present at this visit included the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Indonesia, Oybek Eshonov, the Deputy Governor of Samarkand Rustam Kobilov, and the managers of the Rukhabad Tomb in Samarkand.
This visit not only symbolises the strengthening of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Uzbekistan but also opens significant opportunities in the development of religious tourism, knowledge exchange, and mutually beneficial economic cooperation between Gresik and Samarkand. (*)