North Sumatra Proposes Upgrading Status of Five Cultural Heritage Sites in 2026

Medan (ANTARA) - The North Sumatra Provincial Government (Pemprov Sumut), through the Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy Office (Disbudparekraf), has proposed upgrading the status of five cultural heritage objects in the region to national level in 2026. “The North Sumatra Provincial Government is proposing that five cultural heritage objects be elevated to national cultural heritage status this year,” stated the Head of the Cultural Heritage Protection and Maintenance Division of the North Sumatra Provincial Disbudparekraf, Rais Kari, during a press conference at the North Sumatra Governor’s Office in Medan on Wednesday. The five cultural heritage objects, he continued, are located in five regencies/cities across North Sumatra, namely Candi Tandihat 1, 2, and 3 in Tandihat Village, Barumun Tengah Subdistrict, Padang Lawas Regency. Then, four oil wells, namely Telaga Said, Telaga Tunggal, Telaga Aru, and Telaga Putih in Langkat Regency, which are Indonesia’s first oil wells. Next, the Papan Tinggi Tomb in Pananggahan Village, Barus Utara Subdistrict, Central Tapanuli Regency, which is an important historical site for the civilisation and spread of Islam in Indonesia. “Finally, the Maimun Palace, built by the ninth Sultan of Deli, Sultan Ma’mun Al Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah, in 1888. This palace is a symbol of the glory of the Deli Sultanate in Medan City,” said Rais. His side emphasised that upgrading the status to national cultural heritage will automatically strengthen preservation efforts due to central government support. “The average cost of protection is high, while our capabilities are limited. Therefore, cultural heritage preservation must involve collaboration between regency/city governments, provincial government, and central government,” he stated. “To date, there are 894 cultural heritages in regencies/cities across North Sumatra, and 46 provincial cultural heritages in North Sumatra,” Rais explained. The Indonesian government, by the end of 2025, will designate 85 national-level cultural heritages, increasing the total to 313 cultural heritages. Culture Minister Fadli Zon stated that with the designation of 85 national-level cultural heritages, the total number of national-level cultural heritages is now 313. According to the Minister, this number is still very small compared to Indonesia’s vast diversity. Thus, Fadli Zon stated that there should be thousands of national-level cultural heritages. One of the main focuses is on the collections stored in the National Museum, which has around 194,000 collections. From that number, the government assesses that at least 10 percent of the collections, or about 19,000 objects, are very likely to meet the criteria as national cultural heritages.