In the story of Islam’s spread in Indonesia, the Walisongo hold a special place. Said to have been a group of nine missionaries that lived during the 15th and 16th centuries AD, the Walisongo used combined pious acts, supernatural displays of power, political manoeuvring and outright military conquest, to extend Islam’s reach across Java and neighbouring islands. Their tombs are popular places of pilgrimage, drawing devotees from all over Java and indeed, Muslim South-East Asia.