Banda Aceh : provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh

Banda Aceh

Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people. Banda Aceh is located at the northwestern tip of Indonesia at the mouth of the River Krueng Aceh.
The city was originally named Kutaraja, and determined as the provincial capital in 1956. Kuta Raja means "City of the King", in reference to the founding of the Aceh Sultanate from Champa origins. Later its name was changed to Bandar Aceh Darussalam or popularly known as Bandar Aceh, with the 1st part of the name coming from the Persian bandar meaning "port" or "haven". Today the city is spelled Banda Aceh with the lost of "r" in "Bandar". The city is also dubbed to as the "port to Mecca", and Aceh is also referred to as the "porch of Mecca" (Indonesian: Serambi Mekkah), since in the past during the days when the hajj pilgrims travelled by sea, the hajj pilgrim from all over Indonesian archipelago traditionally always make a stop over in the city before continuing their journey to Mecca. It is also known that earliest Southeast Asian Islamic sultanates â€" such as Samudra Pasai â€" were 1st established in Aceh, which means Islam 1st arrived in Aceh before spreading throughout Southeast Asia.
Banda Aceh wasn't frequently the subject of international discussion until 26 December 2004, the day the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter, and suffered further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterward. It was the worst hit area out of all the locations hit. 167,000 people died and many more were injured. The tsunami resulted from an earthquake of magnitude 9.3 and struck at about 6:58am. The epicenter was about 155 miles off the coast of Banda Aceh.

The elected mayor and Mawardi Nurdin and Illiza

vice-mayor of Banda Aceh are Saaduddin.

One of the unique features of Banda Aceh are the motorized becaks that are found almost everywhere. Unlike traditional becaks, a motorized becak can take passengers anywhere in the city. The fare for riding a motorised becak is relatively cheap and is usually negotiated beforehand.

Transport such as taxis common.

and minibuses is also -

Two main highways run out of Banda Aceh to the south. One runs down the eastern side of the province through main towns such as Bireuen and Lhokseumawe to Medan, the large capital of the province of North Sumatra. The other highway runs down the western side of the province through lesser-populated areas to the towns of Calang, Meulaboh, and Singkil. The main bus station called Terminal Terpadu Batoh is located at Jalan Mr. Teuku Muhammad Hasan.

Banda Aceh has two sea and Pelabuhan Malahayati.

ports, Pelabuhan Ulxx Lheux -

The TVRI Aceh, Kutaraja TV and Aceh TV (private) are the three local TV stations in Banda Aceh. The oldest newspaper in Banda Aceh, also around Aceh are Harian Serambi Indonesia, except several newspapers, such as Harian Aceh, Harian Waspada, Harian ProHaba, and Harian RajaPost.
The Grand Mosque, located in the heart of Banda Aceh, is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. The original mosque was built around the 12th century during the Sultanate of Iskandar Muda. It was rebuilt in 1875 after it was burnt down in the Aceh war. The architecture and interior design of the mosque is notable for having seven domes and four smaller towers along with a main tower. The mosque can accommodate up to 9,000 people.
A number of places near to the centre of Banda Aceh have been established as reminders of, and to provide information about, the impact of the December 2004 tsunami in the city. These include several mass burial centres such as the graves at Ulee Lheue, several places where boats were carried several kilometers inland by the tsunami, and the Tsunami Museum.
The Kerkhoff Poucut is a Dutch military burial ground located near the centre of Banda Aceh, next to the Tsunami Museum. The cemetery name is a combination of Kerkhof and poucut or poteu cut (Acehnese for prince). The Kerkhoff Poucut is recorded as the largest Dutch military cemetery outside the Netherlands. There are around 2,200 graves of white Dutch soldiers as well as recruits from Ambon, Manado and Java, as well as several Dutch generals.
The Aceh Museum is one of the oldest museums in Indonesia. The original museum was established almost 100 years ago. After Independence in 1945 the museum became the property of the regional government. In 1969 the museum was moved from the original site at Blang Padang to the current location in Jl Sultan Alaiddin Mahmudsyah. The museum contains a wide range of artifacts relating to the history and cultural life of Aceh.
Besides its landmarks, royal heritage sites, and attractive beaches, Banda Aceh is also famous for its keudx kupi where specially brewed coffee is served. There are two kind of brewed coffees Ulxx Karxng and Beurawx coffee.
The majority religion of the population is Islam, with minorities including Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus.
Banda Aceh is home to four long-standing churches; the Hati Kudus Catholic church, Western Indonesian Protestant church, Methodist church and the Batak Protestant church (HKBP), while there are also 93 mosques, 112 musholla (small mosques), a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple in the city.

The Hindu community and Tamil Hindus who

consists of both Balinese Hindus originate from India.

Related Sites for Banda Aceh

• inbandaaceh.com | Where Banda Aceh clicks… read Banda Aceh
• Banda Aceh (bandaaceh) on Myspace read Banda Aceh
• Sumatra Eco Tourism - Banda Aceh read Banda Aceh
• National Geographic - Indonesia Tsunami Pictures: Banda Aceh, … read Banda Aceh