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Medan

Medan

State

East Sumatra

Country

Indonesia

Continent

Asia

Size

256 KM2

Population

2,435,252

Spending Budget

$1,546 - $10,822

Famous For

  • Great Mosque of Medan
  • Merdeka Walk
  • Kampung Madras
  • Maimun Palace
  • Museum of North Sumatra

Best Time to Visit

  • January
  • February
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December

History

Medan started as a village called Kampung Medan (Medan Village). Kampung Medan was founded by Guru Patimpus Sembiring Pelawi, a Karonese man who came from the Karo Land. Before he became a Muslim, he was a Pemena follower. When he died in 1669 and his son "Tuangku Panglima Perunggit" moved the centre of the kingdom to Labuhan Deli, which then proclaimed the independence of Deli Sultanate from Aceh Sultanate in 1669, with its capital in Medan Labuhan, approximately 15 km from the city centre now. During the reign of the third king, "Tuanku Panglima Padrap" (ruled 1698–1728), the kingdom was moved to Pulo Brayan due to floods. The fourth king, "Tuanku Panglima Pasutan" (ruled between 1728–1761) organized the kingdom in four tribes, each led by a Datuk (a Malay title for high ranking persons). During the time of the fifth king, "Tuanku Panglima Gandar Wahib" (ruled 1761–1805) the Datuks increased their power. Sultan Amaluddin, the sixth sultan leaving the Great Mosque on his coronation day, in February 1925. The sixth ruler was "Sultan Amaluddin Mengedar Alam" (ruled 1805–1850). During his years the Siak Sultanate became a stronger influence in Deli than the Acehnese Sultanate, and the ruler was given the title: Sultan. The seventh ruler was "Sultan Osman Perkasa Alam" (ruled 1850 to 1858), during his leadership the Deli Sultanate became autonomous. The eighth ruler, "Sultan Mahmud Al Rasyid Perkasa Alam" (ruled 1858–1873) started the relationship with the Dutch, a relationship that became rather intimate. The next ruler was "Sultan Ma'mun Al Rashid Perkasa Alamyah", who ruled from 1873 to 1924 when the tobacco trade expanded. He moved the kingdom to Medan and finished the construction of the Maimun Palace in 1888. He also built the grand mosque of Al Ma'shun which is commonly known as the Great Mosque of Medan now in 1907. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 meant strongly intensified traffic between Europe and the Far East. The Dutch colonial government pronounced Medan a city in 1886. It was briefly the capital of East Sumatra after the Japanese occupation (1942–45) during World War II. The chief historical building in the city is the sultan of Deli’s palace, built for him by the Dutch in the 19th century. There is also a large, ornately decorated mosque built in the early 20th century. Major institutions of higher learning include the University of North Sumatra (1952) and the Islamic University of North Sumatra. After the introduction of tobacco plantations to the area in 1873, Medan became the centre of a vast export-oriented agricultural region known for such goods as tobacco, tea, palm products, and rubber. The city’s light industry produces bricks, tile, and machinery. A railway carries agricultural products to Medan from the interior, and there is an international airport.

Present Day

Medan is in the northeastern part of Sumatra island, in North Sumatra province. Medan itself is a semi-enclave within Deli Serdang Regency, as Medan is bordered by Deli Serdang in the south, east, and west, while Medan borders with the Strait of Malacca in the north. Medan lies on the banks of the Deli River and Babura River which feed into a naturally sheltered harbour and then into the Straits of Malacca. It has helped the city grow in significance as a trading portMedan is the fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung. With a population of about 2 million people, it is the largest city outside of Java. There is no single ethnic group forming a majority; the largest ethnic groups are the Chinese, Javanese, Toba-Batak, Minangkabau, Mandailing Batak, Karo Batak, Southern Indians, and Northern Indians, and there are many more ethnic minorities. Each ethnic group contributes to thousands of tasty, mouth-watering dishes found in every corner of Medan. They offer to locals and tourists alike dozens of food streets and hawker centres to suit their appetite at any time of the day. From the sweet Javanese cuisine to delicious Batak grilled pork, to hot Padang dishes, from savoury Chinese noodles to spicy Indian curry, this varied cuisine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is obvious why the locals are so into food. The city itself is quite well known for "food-tourism", especially amongst other Indonesians. It's interesting to contrast the old, Dutch-style green areas, with parks, lawns, and huge old Dutch houses (now turned into government offices or commercial business) and the hundreds and hundreds of newer, shoddy shophouses sprawled together by the hundreds in the commercial areas along with a few modern style malls.

Future

Improving transport infrastructure and connectivity in Sumatra is part of the Masterplan for the Acceleration and Expansion of the Indonesian Economy. Future developments include enhancing bus stops, as one of the important transit points in a woman’s journey, therefore need to be equipped with certain practical safety features. Beyond the basics of an overhead shelter and bench, bus stops can be made safer by adding a transparent wall on the back and sides to mitigate incidences of theft. Ensuring that there’s adequate lighting at both a bus stop and its surrounding areas is crucial, and selection of location needs to consider not only proximity between stops but also how well it is connected to a reliable public safety reporting system. Further, there are plans to ‘greening up the city’s existing Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) by applying a ‘green lens’ using the Livable Cities Framework Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) to develop and prioritize programs. The purpose of this exercise was to identify where existing and planned infrastructure developments fell short of achieving green objectives, and could be improved by adding components that would increase their green development content. At the same time, the Green Team started working on a “Green City Profile” to develop a baseline for performance measurement. It also includes a “road map” spreadsheet for green development, and environmental profile with thematic GIS maps used for integrated ‘rolling’ plan development, as well as an inventory of current and planned green initiatives.
Must Visit Places ------------

Great Mosque of Medan

The Great Mosque of Medan or Masjid Raya Al Mashun is a mosque placed in Medan, Indonesia. The mosque became constructed in the year 1906 and finished in 1909. In starting of its establishment, the mosque became part of the Maimun palace complex. Its architectural fashion combines Middle Eastern, Indian and Spanish elements. The mosque has an octagonal form and has wings to the south, east, north and west.

Maimun Palace

Maimoon Palace or Maimun Palace is a royal palace of the Sultanate of Deli and a famous landmark in Medan, the capital metropolis of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Today, it serves as a museum. Built with the aid of using Sultan Mamun Al Rashid Perkasa Alamyah in the years 1887–1891, the palace became designed with the aid of using the Dutch architect Theodoor van Erp and covers 2,772 m² with a total of 30 rooms. The Palace has grown to be a famous tourist vacation spot in the metropolis, not entirely due to its historic background status, however additionally due to its particular interior design of the palace, combining factors of Malay cultural background, Islamic and Indian architecture, with Spanish and Italian furnishings and fittings.

Kampung Madras

Kampung Madras, previously referred to as Kampung Keling, is the Little India of Medan, Indonesia, and one of the metropolis’s great ethnic enclaves along Kesawan Chinatown. Kampung Madras encompasses a place of about 10 hectares and hosts a big Indian community (normally Tamil). Now a part of the Medan Polonia district, Kampung Madras is domestic to many wearing items resellers, sari stores, and different shophouses. This vicinity became firstly referred to as Parish, and the name has become a district in Medan referred to as Petisah. The enclave’s name modified to Kampung Madras to reflect the place of origin of the humans of Indian descent who are living there. Every year, Kampung Madras will become a meeting point for Hindu and Tamil festivals consisting of Thaipusam, Thai Pongal, and Deepavali.

Soto Kesawan

Soto Kesawan is one of the maximum well-known restaurants in the metropolis. It is sincerely not truly a restaurant however more a small shop with some tables, however, it serves up one of Medan’s maximum widely known dishes referred to as Soto Medan. In essence that is a soup that’s thickened with coconut milk and has shredded chicken or prawns delivered to it in addition to crunchy bean sprouts and potato cakes.

Merdeka Walk

This is essentially a sort of promenade that’s covered with exclusive restaurants and stalls promoting all exclusive varieties of meals in the middle of the metropolis. This means it is best in case you are travelling with a big group as all people can pick something different to eat and it gives you a picture of Medan’s numerous meals scene. Just a number of the selections right here consist of noodle dishes, soups, rice, curries, fresh juices, and toothsome desserts.

Mesjid Raya Al Mashun

Mesjid Raya Al Mashun, or simply Mesjid Raya as it is often referred to, is Medan’s main mosque and is known for being one of its prettiest. The mosque was built using imported building materials such as Italian marble and you can take a tour and check out all the exquisite details here. Some things to look out for include the pretty stained glass touches as well as the emerald green tiles, and the mosque is topped with dark elegant domes. Non-Muslims are welcome to tour the mosque outside of prayer hours, but make sure to dress respectfully.

Rahmat Gallery

Rahmat Gallery is one of the quirkiest attractions in Medan and is a great choice if you want to do something a little unusual. The gallery is notable as it is filled with preserved animals, so anyone with an interest in taxidermy definitely shouldn’t give it a miss. The gallery is also a great way to check out a range of different species that are indigenous to Indonesia.

Medan Post Office

Medan Post Office sits in the center of the city and is one of the most recognizable buildings in the area. The post office was built in 1911 during the Dutch colonial period and was designed by a Dutch architect who built it in the traditional colonial style. The post office has a large done on the top and signature half circle windows and is one of the best examples of colonial architecture in Medan.

Museum of North Sumatra

The Museum of North Sumatra is the best museum in the city and a must-visit if you want to know more about the history and culture of the province. At the museum you will find galleries that tell the story of the different periods of North Sumatran history and take you through the Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim eras as well as the Dutch colonial period. There are also collections dedicated to ancient weaponry, textiles, farming equipments, and sculptures, and you will also find some amazing wooden coffins carved in the shapes of dragons. All in all, this is a treasure trove of history and a great introduction to Medan.

Istana Maimum

Istana Maimun is the name of the royal palace in Medan which belonged to the Sultanate of Deli. Nowadays parts of the palace are open to the public and have been turned into a museum. These include the throne room and there are a few displays that explain the history of the royal family and some collections of ancient clothing and other objects of interest. One of the big draws here is that for a small fee you can dress up in period garb and take pictures in the throne room, and you can also walk around the lush grounds that encircle the palace.