Banda Aceh is our city, and our city is actually an ancient city. However, its antiquity is not appreciated by the government and people here.
They dream of a modern city world life, which they don't have the resources to achieve. While wealth is epidemic, they ignore it by the wayside and bushes.
I can't appreciate it either. The land where the artifacts are located does not belong to me, and the ruler who reigns here is not me. Maybe, if one day I can influence them directly, then I can appreciate the antiquity of our city. Since we are both earthlings, this is also your city.
Of all the artifacts we see in the field, maybe around 5 to 20 percent are treated (these figures are just my estimates without a calculator, I've never counted them let alone put them in a lab. Apparently, no one has done that yet).
More than 5-20 percent, the effect is negligible, and many are deliberately tampered with. It is our city, which is said to be nearly a thousand years old, but not a single part or treatment reflects this city, the old city, the ancient city.
Even though the behavior of the government and people here does not reflect that this city is an ancient city, we are lovers of relics from the past ---- but we are always updated about current and future technological advances, for example we follow this Cool @hive Community --- , like @keuudeip, @vannour, @anzirpasai, @ichsannanda, are believe that this city is an old city. It is based on several records in British, Dutch, French, Demnark, Turkish and other museums.
You can see the data for Banda Aceh City at >> Banda Aceh City << just click. We are not talking here about city data, but about the value that should exist, but not, according to people who care, or feel proud, about the historical value of a city, as I do.
Boundary Monument
The monument that enters the city of Banda Aceh is located in the southeastern part of the city. This city is the northern tip of Sumatra Island. After this city, if you are from the east or south, there is only the sea, the Aceh Bay, the Malacca Strait and the Indian Ocean.
Take a look at the 'welcome to Banda Aceh' monument, by looking at the monument, can you believe that this city is almost a thousand years old?
Remote City
Currently, this is a city that is isolated and remote from the development of the world -even though we are not primitive people--. We are alienated, although not much like islanders in the middle of the ocean. However, we are surrounded by the sea, on the small end of an island. We do not have neighboring countries with land borders. Everywhere we go are people from one country, and a wide sea.
What made this town even more isolated was that we lived along the coast. After going straight from the beach to Mount Seulawah and other small mountains. To the west, we are facing Mount Geurutee. We don't have flat land for tens or hundreds of kilometers. Wherever we went, we encountered the sea, or mountain valleys.
In the past, during the era of the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam, during the era of Banda Aceh it was still a stopover for ships from all over the world to replenish clean water and other supplies. This is our city, Banda Aceh. (named Bandar Aceh Darussalam), is a well-known city, an important city, a strategic city, a city of international importance, both economically and politically.
Our harbor port is able to manage all ships from all over the world. We have become an idol city, a prosperous city that is a metropolis, a heterogeneous city. We are a city that welcomes all nationalities, all cultures, all religions, all skin colors, all languages. That's how we used to be, a cosmopolitan city, a city that accepts its existence as a stopover city for world adventurers. However, that was then, hundreds of years ago.
Now Banda Aceh, our city is a remote city, a destination city, not a transit city. People from out of town, only come here when there's a need, they can't stop by carelessly, because we're in the middle of the sea, at the unwanted end of the island.
If people from other countries come here, they have to take a plane, via Jakarta, then to Medan, then to Banda Aceh. Or, via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, then to Medan and then to Banda Aceh. We are far. Only to Kuala Lumpur, outside the city can go directly from here. Also, it can be direct if it's a large group of pilgrims.
Just imagine, if people from London to Banda Aceh, have to go to Jakarta first, then take another plane to Banda Aceh, it will take about 2 hours 45 minutes, covering a distance of 1815 kilometers. Our airport, even though it is called an international airport, cannot be like that.
In the past, hundreds of years ago, our city was strategically located in world maritime affairs. Now, where we are is the problem. Shipping no longer needs us. They already have cool Singapore. We don't have much of what they need. Continuous wars, unequal political competition, make us no longer able to be an important city on this earth.
Weird Tourism Promotion
Apart from the existence of this city which is now isolated from world association, this city has several advantages, including: Banda Aceh has beautiful beaches, waterfalls, hot springs, mountain views, healthy fish, fertile soil, fresh air. clean. The people are also friendly, accepting all cultures.
However, the government here in promoting tourism has done some funny things. They promote tours here to the people here, whereas the people here, though not promoted, go to the beach every afternoon. It was the custom of the people here from long ago.
In addition, the government here also expects tourists from abroad to come. Meanwhile, they don't provide what tourists ask for.
Apart from that, the tourism concept used by the government here is a contemporary tourism concept such as in Medan, Bali, where the people are more diverse and there is no Islamic law there yet.
According to my analysis, I've lived in this city for about 14 years with several leadership changes here, like this one. It would be even cooler if the tourism concept used by the government here or in Aceh was the concept of archaeological and cultural tourism.
That way, people from any country, come here, just to see the remnants of history and archaeological and cultural knowledge, and nature just walk by. Not the other way around, as has been done so far.
This facility should be promoted by the government here, not photographing beaches and dances and asking people in other countries to see them. The funny thing is, because people outside Banda Aceh or outside Aceh, can make better videos, better dances, and more beautiful beaches.
Meanwhile, archeology and culture. That is indeed our endemic heritage. It's a shame, the tourism promoters here are misguided, they don't respect their own potential but want to be like other people, even though there is a legal framework here that prohibits it. It's what makes us unique, we like problematic stuff like that. Unnecessary trouble.
So, the city gate, this city boundary, which does not represent itself. This is a monument made by the local government bank here.
From the ground, to get to this city only through this gate, with an estimate that people coming from the direction of Medan and most people who have just got off the plane from Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Airport will also go through the monument. Apart from the east too. Meanwhile, in the western part of the city there is no monument.
If you come to this city, after a few days, if you go to the right place, then we immediately know that what the government is promoting is uninteresting. Instead, what is interesting here is what is not promoted, what is ignored, namely culture, cultural heritage, and manuscripts and artefacts.
Thank you
February 2, 2023
Kind Regards
Thayeb Loh Angen
Captions for all photos: Boundaries Monument of Banda Aceh City, southeast of the city, Banda Aceh, Aceh, Sumatra, Wednesday, February 1, 2023, by me @thayeblohangen