Indra Patra Fort

Citadel is a historical site that has its own story. Behind him there was a story of resistance, rebellion, intrigue and Heroism people in his day. Similarly, Indra Patra Fortress which is located in the Grand Mosque District, road Krueng Raya, about 19 km from Banda Aceh, to the Port of Greater Kr.

As a historic site, the existence of Indra Patra Fortress of course need to be maintained. From the physical side, naturally crushed buildings will be damaged nature. Rain, heat, making the material by the public will make parts of the castle collapsed slowly. Peeling off the walls, foundation stones were falling one by one. Eventually, the original form was not seen again.

In terms of history, stories about the existence of the fort will slowly be forgotten. Even people who live around the fort was not necessarily know the origin of a large wall in front of their home.
To save the historic site that, Aceh Heritage Community (AHC) in cooperation with the Center for Architecture Documentation Jakarta (PDAJ), Indra Patra Fortress took a survey, 20 to 21 December. Two people from PDAJ namely Kemal, an architect, and Ivan, an archeologist, to accompany 10 people from the AHC.

The fort is large and constructed a solid, unique architecture, made of lime concrete. Currently, the only two remaining stronghold, the castle door that was already destroyed by the tsunami. At first there were three major parts remaining stronghold. Fortress of the greatest sized 70 x 70 meters with a height of 3 feet. There is a space that is large and sturdy size 35 x 35 meters and height of 4 meters. The design of the building looks so special and sophisticated, according to its time due to reach the inside of the castle, should be passed to climb first.

The team moving down the corner after corner, the physical record of building what they see. They recorded the start of the color rocks, models of existing towers, how many holes to shoot the cannon is still intact, is there a basement and many other things. AHC members Indra Patra sketching the castle to record the original shape of the building.
Ivan, an archaeologist from Jakarta says many of the castles in Indonesia, which suffered severe damage. Local government does not care about the existence of the fort. If any renovations, many repairs were done not in accordance with the rules of historic buildings. "I once found an old fort in Maluku which were plastered with cement walls. That destroy the authenticity of the fort, where there was anciently cement" he said. Though tourists or visitors really liked the authenticity of historical buildings.

Chairman of the AHC, Yenni Theses from adding renovation undertaken by the Department of Tourism and Culture Aceh Indra Patra renovation of the fort is not in accordance with the rules. Renovations are done a bit much to change its authenticity. "This historical site should have received the attention of Historical Preservation Hall, but apparently not" he said.

Indeed if we consider, as an example of the bookmark information board in history there is no glue. There is also another sad thing relating to the existence of the fort. Many communities around the rocks to take the fort for the purpose of making homes even have a foundation built on the ruins of the fort.

Indra Patra Fortress survey noted not only the physical buildings but also collect stories about the history of the fort. Team to study literature and interviews with people about to dig up stories about Indra Patra Fortress. "The most interesting part of history is the story around the building site, is that most attract visitors" he said.
Indra Patra Fortress built by the Royal Lamuri, the first Hindu kingdom in Aceh (Indra Patra) in the period before the arrival of Islam in Aceh, namely in the seventh century AD. This fort was built in a strategic position of dealing directly with the Strait of Malacca, which serves as a bulwark against the Portuguese fleet. At the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda, with a strong fleet under the command of Admiral Malahayati, as the first female admiral in the world, the fort was used as a defense of the kingdom of Aceh Darussalam.

As a society that respects the history of the fort was selayak Indra Patra in care and conserve. Do not till later people could say, pointing to the ruins of "That's what former rocks huh?"