Banda Aceh Off The Beaten Path

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The second of the three historic sites on the Malahayati road. It is the grave of a famous woman admiral. On a plaque at the site it says:
“Keumala Hayati was a woman who commanded the Royal Acehnese Navy. She was also the chief of Royal Secret Intelligence Department and the Royal Protocol in the reigns of Sultan Saidil Mukamil Alauddin Riayat Syah (1588-1604 A.D.). As a navy admiral she united many widows to be a navy to attack the Portuguese and Dutch navies. The widows built a fortress called Inong Balee Fortress, which meant 'The Fortress of the Widows'.”

On the website mentioned below (in Indonesian) it is explained more fully that in 1599 Keumala Hayati captured the captains of the Dutch vessels De Leeuw and De Leeuwin, the brothers Cornelis and Frederick de Houtman. They would have reneged on a promise to assist the Acehnese in their war with Johore by transporting troops on the Dutch ships. (Our Dutch history book suggests that the squirmish may have been cause by rude behaviour of Cornelis de Houtman, who lost his life by it; and that his brother Frederick spent two years in Acehnese captivity.) The website also tells that Malahayati received an emissary of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir James Lancaster, in 1602; and that later Sultans established a palace guard consisting of beautiful women.

The Indonesian historian Deni Sutrisna also comments that the important role women played in the defense and the politics of the sultanate is fully in line with muslim teaching (hadist). He mentions 15 names of famous Acehnese women, among them six who reigned as Ratu.

Address: Lamreh village, Kecamatan Mesjid Raya, Kabupaten Aceh Besar

Directions: About 32 km east of town. With public transport, take a labi-labi (minibus) to Krueng Raya. With own transport, follow Daud Beureuh street northeast out of town. When facing a T-crossing at a river bank turn left direction Malahayati harbour. At reaching this harbour, turn into the inland road facing the harbour entrance and you soon reach the grave on a small hill.

Website: http://balarmedan.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/benteng-inong-balee-dan-kompleks-makam-laksamana-malahayati-di-kabupaten-aceh-besar-provinsi-nanggroe-aceh-darussalam/

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Along the road east of Banda Aceh leading to Malahayati harbour one can visit three historic sites which testify of the heroic struggle of the Acehnese against foreign invaders.

The first of these sites is the Indra Patra Fort, actually part of a defence system consisting of three forts at different compass directions from town. It is constructed of chalk rock and played an important role in the defense against the Portuguese.

The fort consists of two parts. One part must have been the barracks housing the soldiers. Within the walled yard of 70 x 70 m2 there are two covered wells still containing clear water. The other part, closer to the sea and measuring 35 x 35 m2, evidently held the cannons to attack enemy ships. It has embrasures in the seaward walls and a thick-walled and thick-roofed shed which we think was the ammunition store.

We thought the fort was built against the Portuguese invaders and therefore some 400 years old. And seeing its condition we surmised that at some time restoration work must have been done on it. But then we found a website in Indonesian language - wisatamelayu.com - stating that it was built in the 7th century AD by the pre-islamic Lamuri kingdom. The same website indeed mentions recent renovation efforts by the Aceh government, and reports that a gate was destroyed by the tsunami.

Address: Ladong village, Masjid Raya district, Aceh Besar regency

Directions: About 20 km norts-east of town. With public transport, take a labi-labi (minibus) direction Krueng Raya. With own transport, follow Daud Beureuh street out of town. When facing a T-crossing at a river bank turn left direction Malahayati harbour. At about 20 km from town a weathered signboard points to the fort at the coast.

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Gampong Jawa means Javanese Quarter. Evidently this was the area where Javanese lived, close to the sea.
After we had passed to and fro along the road a few times, a couple of locals guided us to the site: just a wilderness that we had passed by. But here must lie the human remains found in the area.
Not many people living that close to the sea can have survived the tsunami. Housing in the Gampong Jawa has been rebuilt, but the people we accosted to ask for directions were not Javanese.

Address: Jalan Tgk Dianjong, Gampong Jawa.
Directions: On the road along the left bank of Aceh river.