Gereja Ayam in Kembanglimus Village, Borobudur District, Magelang Regency, Central Java, has now become a tourist destination that is busy with visitors. Its popularity increased after it became a film shooting location What’s Wrong With Love? 2. This unique church has an architectural design that almost resembles a chicken, a concept that emerged from the dream of its founder, Daniel Alamsjah. Construction of Gereja Ayam began in 1992, but the idea of establishing it emerged earlier, namely in 1988.
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That year, Daniel had a recurring dream in which he was asked to build a place of worship in the hills he had never been to. In the dreams that kept coming to him, he saw an unfamiliar location. When visiting the Borobudur area in the same year, he met a local youth who was looking for firewood. He then followed him, and unexpectedly the young man took him to a hill in Gempong Hamlet which was exactly like the one he had seen in his dream. Daniel then prayed all night on the hill, looking for guidance, and was finally convinced to build a house of prayer there.
He named the place in the hills Bukit Rhema, a name that means “living word” for Christians. He also decided to build the place of worship with a design that resembled a dove, a symbol of peace and the holy spirit.
The development process began in 1992, but was stopped in 1996 due to the impact of the monetary crisis. During this period, Gereja Ayam functioned as a rehabilitation center for children with disabilities, victims of drug addiction, ODGJ, and teenagers facing problems. In 2000, the church had to be closed due to opposition from local residents. However, in 2014, Gereja Ayam was reopened as a tourist attraction.
The Gereja Ayam building consists of several floors, and the fourth floor is a special attraction because it offers a beautiful panorama that includes Suroloyo Peak, Mount Sindoro, to Candi Borobudur.
More beauties at Kedai Bukit Rhema
Apart from the main building, this place also provides a shop with spectacular views. This shop has a semi-outdoor concept which allows visitors to feel the cool mountain air while enjoying a cup of hot coffee. The interior design combines natural wooden elements with artistic decoration which creates a warm and comfortable impression. With a variety of seating options, both indoors and outside with open views, Kedai Bukit Rhema is suitable for various purposes, from relaxing with friends, working on a laptop, or even enjoying alone time while reading a book.
Apart from offering a calming atmosphere, Kedai Bukit Rhema also has a variety of menu choices that are ready to pamper your taste buds. The most popular main menu is of course coffee. For coffee lovers, you can try local coffee which is prepared using the manual brew method which maintains the original taste of the coffee. Some types of coffee that are often chosen are brewed coffee and strong espresso.
Apart from coffee, this shop also serves various other drinks such as tea, juice and fresh drinks which are suitable for hot weather. Not only drinks, Kedai Bukit Rhema also has a variety of snacks and snacks that can accompany your time hanging out. One of the mainstay menus is fried banana and fried cassava, which are very suitable to be enjoyed with a cup of hot coffee or tea. For those who want to eat heavily, there are also several traditional food choices such as fried rice and fried noodles that can fill your stomach before or after touring the temple.