Acehnese fear loss of heritage, arts from tsunami

Acehnese fear loss of heritage, arts from tsunami

Cindy Sui, Agence France-Presse, Banda Aceh, Aceh

Having lost almost everything, the people of Banda Aceh -- the worst-hit city in the tsunami disaster -- say they fear they will lose their rich historical and cultural heritage as well.

"There are no reports about this because nobody's thinking about buildings or arts," said Wiratmadinata, who worked as a reporter for Harian Serambi newspaper in Banda Aceh.

"I care. I am Acehnese, I don't want to lose my identity." Half of Banda Aceh, a city of 400,000 people before the tsunami, is in ruins.

Tens of thousands of residents were killed in the previously charming and picturesque city that was studded with former sultans' palaces, queen's bath places and royal burial grounds.

"I cannot exactly count what has been destroyed, but the old town, which like many Indonesian old towns is located by the seashore, is completely destroyed," said Sujiman A. Musa, a local cultural expert and former journalist.

Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, holds historic and cultural significance because it is where Islam spread from the Middle East to the rest of Southeast Asia.

The Acehnese are also a distinct ethnic group in Indonesia who are intensely Islamic and possess a rich culture and their own language.

Aceh was an independent sultanate in the 17th century but was invaded by the Dutch in the 19th century and incorporated into Indonesia in the 20th century. A two-decades-long rebel movement to free Aceh from Indonesian governance is ongoing.

Surprisingly, many of the key structures in the city center remain, such as the former sultan's palace and the Great Mosque, which was built by Aceh's most famous sultan, Iskandar Muda, who ruled from 1607 to 1636, as a gift for his wife to be used as her private bathing place.

The museum, with its display of Acehnese artifacts, also remains standing.

Gone, however, are some mosques, traditional Acehnese homes dating back as far as 200 years, the traditional market, Pasar Aceh and other sites.

The traditional Acehnese houses have pagoda-style roofs and stand on wooden columns, offering lots of space for the breeze to travel through.

"We had a beautiful place. Now we have nothing," said Mukhlis Hamid, a local writer and art critic.

The city, which is about 800 years old, was also one of the first places where Dutch colonialist entered the islands that now make up Indonesia.

Ulee Lheue, the port where the Dutch entered, is badly damaged.

Historical relics aside, the tsunami also took its toll on modern art.

Of the city's approximate 300 artists, only about 48 are accounted for. The powerful waves also swept away many of their paintings and much of their poetry.

Hamid, the art critic, said he had spent the past few days trying to find artists in the community.

"Many artists were killed. No one knows exactly how many. I have been trying to reach my friend, an actor in the theater, but I have not been able to contact him," Hamid said.

The office of the Aceh artists' association was also destroyed, along with a lot of artwork stored inside.

Several of the artists lived by the sea.

One of them, the most famous Acehnese artist, Round Kelana, who is also known overseas, is believed to have lost many of his paintings when his house was smashed by the waves.

Homeless, they are also living in the tents at the camps for displaced people.

Those who survived the disaster have no motivation to make art, at least not yet, artists said.

"I have not written one poem about the tsunami yet," said Zulfikar, 33, a well-known local poet whose writing often criticizes the government.

Artists are either grieving the lost of their loved ones or are busy trying to find each other and helping in the relief effort, such as serving as translators.

Zulfikar, whose niece was killed by the tsunami, also lost dozens of poems, saving only the eight he had stored in his computer on the second floor of his house. The first floor was badly damaged.

"When the rehabilitation and reconstruction begins, we will start over again because it's important for the younger generation to know the history of Aceh," he said.

He and others urged the government to preserve the heritage of the Acehnese in the eventual reconstruction.

"They should rebuild destroyed historical or artistic buildings on the same site and just like the old way, so the children will know the art of Aceh," said Zulfikar.