Menu
Information you need to know from around the globe

12 Religious Tourist Places in Aceh that Must Be Visited

  • Share

Aceh, dubbed the Veranda of Mecca, has many religious tourism objects with beautiful architecture and stunning views. Not inferior to religious tourist attractions in Middle Eastern or European countries. What are the religious tourist attractions in Aceh? The following is a review of religious tourist attractions in Aceh:

1. Baiturrahman Grand Mosque

Baiturrahman Grand MosqueOne of the mosques which is the most magnificent building in Southeast Asia is the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque. The mosque, which is located in the center of the city, is decorated with beautiful carvings. In addition, the page is very wide. The cool air will envelop you when you enter the mosque. This magnificent building is a silent witness to the history of Aceh and the pride of the Acehnese people. Baiturrahman Mosque also has a towering tower and makes it more attractive for tourists to visit. The construction of the mosque was carried out in 1612 AD (Iskandar Muda Sultanate). The mosque which has the affectionate nickname ‘Mesra Baiturrahman’ or an abbreviation of the name of the mosque, has 7 domes. And in one corner of the courtyard of the mosque, you can see an inscription that perpetuates the history of the death of the Dutch General JHR Kohler accompanied by 400 troops.

2. Tomb of Sultan Iskandar Muda

Tomb of Sultan Iskandar MudaThis tomb is located right next to the Aceh Museum. Sultan Iskandar Muda is a king who is known to be fair to his own family and society. The king who ruled from 1607 to 1636, his tomb is still visited by many pilgrims. Those who came not only to offer prayers, but also wanted to pay their respects to the sultan who was famous for being just.

Sutan Iskandar Muda succeeded in bringing Aceh to its peak of glory, especially when many merchant ships stopped by and the Veranda of Mecca became the center of world commerce. Aceh managed to occupy one of the five largest Islamic empires in the world.

3. Ulee Lheue County Mass Cemetery Area

Ulee Lheue Daerah County Mass Cemetery AreaWhen you visit the Tsunami Museum, don’t forget to stop for a moment at the Ulee Lheue Mass Cemetery Banda Aceh. This is one of the mass graves where victims of the Aceh tsunami are buried. Actually there are still other mass burial sites. Like the one in Lampuuk.

The Lampuuk Mass Cemetery, at first glance, looks like a fenced-in field. But if you look again carefully, then there is an inscription that explains that the place is a mass grave.

4. Great Mosque of Meulaboh City

Meulaboh City Grand MosqueThe mosque, which is located in the center of the city, is precisely on Jalan Imam Bonjol, Meulaboh. The building is one of the popular Aceh religious tourism objects.

Famous for its architectural beauty and light colored towering dome. So it’s a shame to just miss it if you’re visiting Aceh but don’t visit the Great Mosque of Meulaboh City, which has the beauty and uniqueness of the building that will blow your mind away at the beauty of this Great Mosque of Meulaboh City.

5. Kuala Shia Tomb

Kuala Shia GraveAceh’s religious tourism object, which is visited by many tourists, is named the Syiah Kuala Tomb. It is located if taken from Alue Naga Beach, Banda Aceh, approximately 30 meters away. This place not only attracts local tourists, but also foreign tourists. Those who come, not only for recreation, but also offer prayers and dhikr. This tomb depicts the struggle in Aceh’s history. Well, if you are tired or want to pray, right in front of the meal there is a surau.

For those who want to give alms or donations, just put it in the charity box. The rules for entering the tomb area are mandatory wearing clothes that are in accordance with Islamic law and smoking is prohibited. One more thing that is amazing, the Syiah Kuala Tomb was not damaged at all (just a little damage in some corners) when the Aceh tsunami hit, even though it is very close to the beach. When the sun goes down, you can also see the beauty of the sunset from the graveyard.

6. Kerkhoff’s Grave

  Kerkhoff's GraveIf you want to visit one of the largest listed graves in the world, please come to the Kerkhoff Cemetery in Aceh. This grave is well cared for by the people of Aceh and there is something different from the center of the tomb. There is a tomb that is separate from the others, that is the tomb of Meurah Pupok, son of Sultan Iskandar Muda who was stoned by his own father for committing adultery. Meurah Pupok committed adultery with the wife of a young officer who was training the Acehnese army in the Blang Peurade area. Back to the graves of the Dutch soldiers.

There are about 2,200 soldiers buried here including 4 generals. The war that took place in Aceh was the bitterest experience even when compared to the experience of the Dutch during the Napoleonic war. Of course, the largest army graves are in the Netherlands. It should be noted that the Dutch attacked the Aceh sultanate using cannons fired from a warship called Citadel Van Antwerp, with the number of soldiers at that time reaching 3,198 people. Kerkhoff’s grave is not only clear evidence of how persistently the Acehnese people fought against the invaders, but also proof of how fair Sultan Iskandar Muda was during his reign.

7. Baitul Musyahadah Mosque

Baitul Musyahadah MosqueThe next location for religious tourism in Aceh is the Baitul Musyahadah Mosque. What are the attractions of these attractions? The first is of course because of the beauty of the architecture, the second is the uniqueness of the dome in the form of a replica of a typical Acehnese hat called kupiah meukeutop. So the Baitul Musyahadah Mosque is also known as the Meukeutop Mosque. Kupiah meukeutop itself has a very high philosophy for the people of Aceh because the colors are symbols of the elements of Islam, heroism, and royalty. For the kupiah level itself, it is a symbol of Islamic law, reusam, customs, and qanuns. In addition to the main dome, kupiah meukeutop is also above the gate of the mosque and also near the pulpit.

Acehnese ornaments can also be seen on the iron doors around the mosque and the walls of the mosque. The beginning of the construction of the mosque, which is a non-governmental organization, was carried out in 1989. The architectural plans and designs were made by a famous Acehnese scholar named Prof. Ali Hasjmi with the initial name Masjid Al-Ikhlas. Then in 1993, the mosque was renamed Baitul Musyadah and inaugurated directly by the governor of Aceh at that time accompanied by KH. Zainuddin MZ. The mosque is in the form of a 5-sided, as a symbol of the 5 pillars of Islam and must be implemented. The selection of the meukeutop kupiah was based on the desire to perpetuate the fighting spirit of Teuku Umar. The address of this tourist attraction: Jalan Teuku Umar, Setui. Opposite Suyuza Mall.

8. Baiturrahim Mosque

Baiturrahim MosqueIts name is Baiturrahim Mosque. The building that became one of the silent witnesses of the 2004 Aceh tsunami, where this building is still standing even though it was hit by a terrible tsunami. Yes, the only building that still stands tall in the Ulee Lheue area. The mosque, which was originally named the Jamik Ulee Lheue Mosque, is a relic of the Sultan of Aceh in the 17th century. This mosque was burned by the Dutch in 1873 and has a European-style architecture, especially on the front. When you visit here, you will automatically visit the Aceh tsunami pilgrimage site. For those who want to visit, please come to the Ulee Lheue Roundabout right on the left side of Meuraxa District, towards the ferry port. In memory of the 2004 tsunami, there is a special room that displays photos of the Aceh tsunami.

9. Palani Andawer Temple

  Palani Andawer TempleThe next Aceh religious tourism is the Palani Andawer Temple. Aceh is not only famous for its magnificent and beautiful mosque buildings, but there are also decent and well-maintained buildings for non-Muslim places of worship. The temple, which has the full name Maha Kumbha Abhisegam Palani Andawer, was founded in 1934 and is the only Hindu temple in the Veranda of Mecca. The Palani Andawer Temple accommodates no less than 600 Hindus from Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh. When hit by the tsunami in 2004, the temple building was destroyed. However, the Palani Andawer Temple was rebuilt in April 2012, using funds from the Provincial Ministry of Religion and BRR, plus donations from Hindus themselves.

The temple keeper called Aire is named Radha Krisna. He is a friendly person and will gladly explain anything visitors want to know about the temple. Radha Krisna is a descendant of Hindu Tamil who has long lived in Aceh. If when you arrive, you don’t meet him, you can meet him directly at the residence of Radha Krisna which is in the shophouse in front of the temple. When you enter the temple, you can find 6 statues that were directly imported from India. The left and right sides have reliefs from the story of Lord Murugan, besides that you can find a peacock altar and a Ganesha statue. To find this uniquely shaped temple is not difficult because it is located right on the edge of the Keudah Village road that leads to Peulanggahan Village.

10. Teuku Dianjong Mosque

Teuku Dianjong MosqueStraight from the Palani Andawer Temple, take about 10 minutes, you will find a historic mosque building called the Teuku Di Anjong Mosque. The location is in Peulanggahan Village, Kuta Raja District. The mosque which was built by Sayyid Abu Bakr bin Husein Bafaqih has existed since the 18th century. It should be noted that Sayyid Abu Bakar was a merchant who came from Arabia and migrated to Aceh to trade, which in the end also helped spread the teachings of Islam in the Veranda of Mecca. This mosque does not have a dome, but the roof is terraced, reminiscent of Javanese architecture. The title karamah Teuku Chik Di Anjong was then given to him and also used as the name of the mosque. When visiting this mosque, you can not only experience religious tourism but also historical tourism.

In the mosque can also be found inscriptions regarding the history of the construction of the mosque, the tomb of Sayyid Abu Bakar and his family as well as other Arab scholars, a monument to commemorate the tsunami, as well as an inscription that immortalizes the Peulanggahan community who disappeared during the tsunami, the mosque where Teuku Umar “sworn” when he disguised himself. joined the Dutch army.

11. Dharma Bakti Vihara

Vihara Dharma BaktiThis monastery is the oldest and largest pagoda in Banda Aceh. Address at Jalan Teuku Panglima Polem No. 70 Peunayong. A place known as the Chinese village of Aceh. Vihara Dharma Bakti was built in 1936 named Ta Pe Kong, the same as the name of the god written on the brass incense holder. At that time the building was still a tin roof and the building was a wooden house. Then in 1960, a Hokkien Chinese descent (Fung Chung Min) built with concrete materials. The monastery is surrounded by a white wall, a red door, lanterns hanging and in front of the monastery there is a replica of two dragons separated by a ball of fire. Illumination is on the five main altars, one on the earth god altar, one on the wide altar. There are 11 deities framed by glass, one of which is a statue of Lord Se Mien Fo near the temple gate. This god is known as a face that forms the 4 cardinal directions. Visiting hours start at 06.00-18.00. The head of the monastery will be happy to answer any questions that anyone wants to know about the Dharma Bakti Vihara.

12. Sacred Heart Parish Catholic Church

Sacred Heart Parish Catholic ChurchThe church, which is located at Jalan Ahmad Yani No. 2 Banda Aceh, has a neo-classical architecture with an area of ​​up to 168 m2. In this catholic church there is a tower with a height of 12 meters, a tiled floor in the shape of a colorful mosaic, and a bell from the Netherlands.

Information about this church can be obtained from the secretariat officer. During the Aceh tsunami, this church building, including a place of worship, did not collapse and only the front was damaged.

Hopefully this information from various sources regarding religious tourism in Aceh can be useful. Happy Holidays!

Also read articles on other unique tourist attractions

  • Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *