Traditional Architecture: The Role of Traditional Festival in Islamic Historic District to Achieve Local Community Wellbeing

Abstract

The current studies demonstrate how tourism activities have incorporated the role of festival and heritage to address socio-cultural, economic, political, and environmental issues. In the context of Indonesia, the cultural festival has been used to be one medium of Islamic preaching, since the era of Walisongo in the sixteenth century. Several local level festival appears to attract a large number of visitors which later influences the sustainability of the place, including Ya Qowiyyu Festival in Jatinom, Klaten, Central Java. Preserving the tradition for hundreds of years, the local community in Jatinom maintains this cultural practice until the present day. This research aims to explore the dynamics between the festivals of Islamic culture in Indonesia in achieving the local community wellbeing in the context of sustainable development. It utilizes qualitative inquiry that sees there are multiple, socially constructed realities. The technique used was observation and in-depth interviews with open-ended questions. The study demonstrates the success of Ya Qowiyyu Festival in addressing social, economic, and environmental issues in the area. For example, it generates community contentment and provides a financial contribution to stakeholders and local communities that enhance their wellbeing.