The exhibition entitled “Aceh Tombstone as an Islamic Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia” at the Aceh Museum.

VISITING THE EXHIBITION ACEH TOMBSTONE AS AN ISLAMIC CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Reports in Indonesian

Not because the signs of death come closer, not a sign of seeking to bless. We, Saturday, May 13, 2017, visited some ancient headstone. It’s all because of love in history, love of science.

On 9-16 May 2017 Aceh Government through Culture and Tourism Office in cooperation with Mapesa, (Aceh History Concern Society) held an exhibition titled “Aceh Tombstone as the Heritage of Islamic Culture in Southeast Asia” at Museum Aceh. The tombstone exhibit features an original collection of 18 headstones, four from the Samudera Pasai Sultanate, three from the Lamuri Sultanate and 11 collections of gravestones from the time of the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam.

Greeted by Muhajir Asyie, a member of Mapesa who became the guide that day, we went around. According to him, this exhibition just entered the introduction stage of Aceh gravestone, still in the simple process has not covered all types and models of the headstone. For the introduction stage this exhibition itself can be said to be successful, but in the future expected more can be displayed and has its own tombstone museum.

Museum Aceh is an ethnographic museum of indigenous tribes that inhabit Aceh.
Address: Sultan Alaiddin Mahmudsyah Street number 10, Peuniti, Baiturrahman, Banda Aceh City, State of Aceh, Republic of Indonesia, zip code 23116

The exhibition itself in a few days took place more visited by elementary, junior and senior high school students around Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar and surrounding areas. According to Muhajir Asyie is in accordance with the desired target because this exhibition wants to teach history, especially the younger generation.

Listening to an explanation of the history of Aceh’s gravestone from Muhajir Asyie an exhibition guide

The exhibition materials are mostly from Mapesa. Muhajir Asyie added that this Aceh tombstone exhibition is the first after several decades, in the hope that with this exhibition, the general public will keep the Aceh tombstones as cultural assets, should not be used as a knife sharpener or used as an ox binder.

As we toured the exhibition area, from the three sultanates whose gravestones were exhibited, the distinction between the tombstones of the Lamuri Sultanate (andesite) was very hard and rough. While the tombstones from the Sultanate of Samudera Pasai and the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam are made of fine stone coming from the mountains. In this case, according to Muhajir say that tombstone of the Sultanate of Samudera Pasai and Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam this some found to serve as a tool knife sharpener. This is a pity because Aceh’s gravestones are a legacy to be saved. Therefore, the tombstone is a historical evidence that Aceh has a high culture in the past.

How should the younger generation understand Aceh’s history? According to Muhajir Asyie, the young generation should understand that the gravestone is “Islamic Art” is a culture arising from the Islamization process of the archipelago, is a long process started from the Sultanate of Samudera Pasai along with the Sultanate of Lamuri and continued by the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam. The history must be inherited so that the younger generation does not regard the gravestone as a heresy tool, “god stone”, as well as other mystical thoughts. Why? Because the wrong thinking will produce the wrong conclusion as well.

We at the Aceh Museum

We agree in this matter, history, if not told correctly, will only be a myth and legend alone. There are many historical stories that just become saga that never seems to happen, let’s together straighten it. What for? We are not getting wealth or treasure by studying history. In our opinion it is simple, to enrich the mind and strengthen our memories.

About Aceh

1. CUMBOK WAR, A SOCIAL REVOLUTION IN ACEH (1946-1947); 8 April 2017;
2. CIVILIZATION WITHOUT WRITING; 13 April 2017;
3. ACEH THE FIRST SOVEREIGN COUNTRY TO RECOGNIZING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE NETHERLANDS; 27 April 2017;
4. VISITING THE EXHIBITION ACEH TOMBSTONE AS AN ISLAMIC CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA; 16 May 2017;
5. DUTCH RAID OPERATION AGAINST CUT MEUTIA (1910); 20 May 2017;
6. SAMUDERA PASAI AS THE FIRST ISLAMIC KINGDOM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA; 6 June 2017;
7. ISLAMIC SHARIAH WHO IS AFRAID, A CASE STUDY IN ACEH; 13 June 2017;
8. ACEH WOMEN FULL POWER; 13 June 2017;
9. DUSK IN MALACCA; 4 July 2017;
10. GOLD, INFIDELS, AND DEATH; 10 July 2017;
11. MANTE THE LOST PYGMY TRIBE; 13 July 2017;
12. HOW TO TELL HISTORY; 14 August 2017;
13. THE ORIGIN OF THE COFFEE CULTURE IN ACEH; 19 August 2017;
14. THE UNTOLD STORY ABOUT HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDONESIA IN ACEH PROVINCE; 28 September 2017;
15. WHEN CRITICISM IS FORBIDDEN; 14 October 2017;
16. EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR ACEH; 5 November 2017;
17. PEUCUT KHERKOFF, ACEH-DUTCH WAR MONUMENT; 12 November 2017;
18. THE PRICE OF FREEDOM; 5 December 2017;
19. ACEH CRAZY OR ACEH PUNGO; 25 February 2018;

Check out the visit of Tengkuputeh team to Aceh museum in the following video: