Museum is a place full of education and past spirit for tourism. This time I want to invite Hivers to visit Samudra Pasai Islamic Museum which is located in Beuringen Village, Samudra District, North Aceh Regency, Indonesia.
Samudra Pasai Islamic Museum started functioning in June 2017. The officials who built Samudra Pasai Islamic Museum are now languishing in prison for corruption. But that has nothing to do with our tourism activities.
Every weekend or weekday, there are always visitors at the Samudra Pasai Islamic Museum which is adjacent to the Malikussaleh Monument. Visitors can see around 250 historical objects from the Samudra Pasai Islamic Kingdom. This museum has an area of around 500 square meters.
The museum is the only magnificent building that is clearly visible. It is located around 16.9 kilometers east of Lhokseumawe City. From Lhokseumawe City, this location can be reached in just around 28 minutes. There is no traffic jam from Lhokseumawe to get there.
Malikussaleh was named after the Sultan of the Samudra Pasai Islamic Kingdom, whose tomb is also located in Beuringen Village. The location of the Malikussaleh Tomb is only about 200 meters from the Sultan Malikussaleh Tomb. In addition to the two historical sites, in Beuringen Village there is also the Sultanah Nahrisyah Tomb Complex, close to the beach.
So, set aside enough time to visit all three sites in one day. It would be a shame if one of the locations was missed.
The Malikussaleh Museum was built in 2011 and completed in 2016 at a cost of more than IDR 7 billion sourced from Special Autonomy funds. In accordance with regulations in force in Indonesia, Aceh received Special Autonomy with a number of privileges that other provinces in Indonesia do not receive.
In this 2,850 square meter museum, there are a number of relics of the Samudra Pasai Islamic Kingdom such as gold, silver, and tin coins that prove past progress. In addition, there are also war equipment, various types of swords, musical instruments, and agricultural equipment.
The Islamic Kingdom of Samudra Pasai began to be known since 1267 AD and collapsed in 1521 or ruled for 29 years.
The grandeur of the Malikussaleh Museum and the high costs allocated there, are not in line with the use of the building. Several times I visited there, Samudra Pasai Islamic Museum looks unkempt. Wild grass grows around the building, garbage is also scattered, even on top of the building.
Perhaps this building is proof of the character of the Indonesian nation that can build but cannot maintain. The magnificent building is threatened with being wasted if it is not utilized immediately. The Malikussaleh Museum has not been utilized, but the building is already damaged in several places. Some parts of the warehouse are cracked, some of the paint is peeling.
The drainage system around the building has not been built. According to several local residents, when it rains it often causes flooding around the building. This is homework for the North Aceh Regency Government in the future.
In addition to building a drainage system that can overcome flooding, another infrastructure that must be built is the road to the Museum which must be smoother. After passing the paved main road, the condition of the road to the Museum location is very concerning. Not only is there no asphalt, but there are large holes that can cause cars to run aground if they are not careful.
Three other facilities that must be available are the need for water for prayer and washing hands, a clean and representative food and drink building, and a souvenir sales building which is one of the favorite places for tourists. Hopefully everything is available and runs smoothly when the Malikussaleh Museum functions in the future.
Museums are prestigious tourist destinations in developed countries. One of the Museum Cities in the world that I have visited is Washington DC, United States. There are various museums there that are tourist attractions. There are several museums that charge high entrance fees.
It's different in Indonesia. The entrance fee for museums is very low, some museums do not provide guides who are able to explain the museum in an interesting way. I once visited the Sonobudoyo Museum in Yogyakarta and the guide there who speaks several world languages, recognized all the objects displayed there as if he knew himself.
It still takes a long way for the Malikussaleh Museum to get there. However, if it doesn't start now, it will never get there.[]