Aceh , Past and Future

Aceh , Past and Present. Its difficult for me to write about aceh history becaused I have a lot of friend from aceh . Most of them says about a bad thing happen in aceh when suharto becoming indonesias president. Most of them told me about how people in aceh gave their money to bought airplane for president sukarno.
Aceh is a special territory of Indonesia , this position is the same with Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Aceh was located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Acehs full name is Nanggröe Aceh Darussalam.
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh. Banda Aceh is a city which was established on April 22, 1205 by Sultan Alaidin Johansyah, is one of the oldest Islamic city in the South-East of Asia. The population was approximately around 500,000 peoples in 2007. The prior city name was Kutaraja, determined as the provincial capital in 1956. Later its name was changed into Banda Aceh, where the first part of its name comes from the Persian bandar and means "port" or "haven". It is also proudly referred to as the "port to Meccah", as Islam first arrived in Aceh and spread throughout Southeast Asia.

Below are the list of interesting places in Aceh :

1. Museum Negeri - The museum is filled with antiques. Among the exhibits is a big clock, a gift from the Emperor of China and brought to Aceh by the famed Admiral Cheng Ho in 1414. Museum Aceh - There is a museum in Banda Aceh located near the Governor's residence. The main building of the Museum is a house built in a traditional style by the Dutch Governor Van Swart in 1914. The museum is filled with antiques, and among the exhibits a big bell Cakra Donya a gift from the Emperor of China conveyed by Admiral Cheng Ho in 1414. On the bell can be found a Chinese script, Sing Fang Niat Toeng Juut Kat, no one knows what it really means.

2.Pinto Khop which are located at a few steps from the Pendopo are also charms of the city. Gunongan was erected around the 16th century during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda.

3. Kerkhof or Churchyard is a much visited site especially by Dutch visitors where the remains of more then 2,000 Dutch soldiers lie buried

4. Cut Nyak Dhien House. The house is a replica of the heroine Cut Nyak Dhien House, from the Aceh War. The house was burnt down by the colonial forces but a replica was built later. This house in Lam Pisang, about 6 kilometers from Banda Aceh, is now a museum.

5. Indra Patra Fortress. This old fort was built during the time of Iskandar Muda. It probably functioned as a defense against invaders. (Damaged because of Tsunami)

6. Around Lhokseumawe- Lhokseumawe is a town located 274 km from Banda Aceh which is now being developed as an industrial zone. Many gigantic plants are constructed following the discovery of huge LNG resources in the area. Touristic features of the town is a.o. Samudera Pasai. It was the first great Islamic kingdom of Indonesia. All that remains of it, however, is a graveyard 18 km east of the town. One of the graves belongs to Malikussaleh, as Samudera Pasai's first king. Other objects for visitors are Blang Kolam Falls and Ujung Blang beach

7. Takengon- Takengon is a town located in the central area of Aceh. It is being promoted as a tourist resort since its temperature is about 2O degree C (68F), cool enough for a holiday resort. The main feature of the town is Lake Laut Tawar. It offers soaring cliffs around the shore which are ideal for rock hiking. The lake is also stocked with trout. It is a pleasantly cool holiday resort, at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. Central Aceh is one of Sumatra's foremost producers of high quality coffee. A warm water pool at Simpang Balik, Loyang Koro and Loyang Pukes caves by the side of Laut Tawar are also interesting objects.

8. The Leuser National Park of Gunung Leuser is probably the wildest in Indonesia, located in Southeast Aceh, can be reached from either Kutacane, or Takengon. This magnificent national park has a wealth of flora and fauna. The park also has research facilities for the study of primates, birds, insects, and other animals. Basic accommodation facilities are available at Ketambe. The rapids-infested Krueng Alas river inside the park is popular with rafters.

9. The Great of Baiturrahman Mosque is the main feature of Banda Aceh today. Lying at the heart of the city completed with excellent architectural style, this mosque is really one of Indonesia prime tourism sides. The Mosque was built around the 12 Century and had caught fire several time including when the Dutch attacked Kutaraja (Banda Aceh) in 1873. Another mosque to replace the former one was later built by Dutch Military Government that was completed in 1883. The Mosque is extra ordinary in architecture and ornamentation. It has five onion shaped domes, two tall minerattes, wide white walls, and around is pillars various kinds of beautiful ornament.