This is a photograph of the natural landscape of the Malacca Strait, photograph taken from the beach in Lhokseumawe. A fisherman with his canoe was crossing a small plain in a puddle of calm seawater. He rowed a canoe from a floating house that appeared on the right side of the picture, perhaps he went for earn a livelihood in the loose seas.
Telok-Semawé
In ancient times this place was called Telok-Semawé (Semawe Bay), as a port on the shores of the sea of the Strait of Malacca. Von Schmidt, a Dutch Sea Captain in his book praises this bay as the best harbor on the northern coast of Aceh. A port area that is safe, comfortable, quiet and healthy.
The following image is a book: Telok Semawé de beste haven op Atjeh's noordkust : benevens eenige voorafgaande beschouwingen / door J.H.P. von Schmidt auf Altenstadt.
Maker: Schmidt auf Altenstadt, Johann Henri Pieter von
Datering: 1887 -
Source image: www.nmm.nl
Here I also included two maps to make sure, in the past the area was known as Semawe Bay. In the clear written map the words of Telok Samawe.
Images quoted from the book: Telok Semawé de beste haven op Atjeh's noordkust ; benevens eenige voorafgaande beschouwingen / door J.H.P. von Schmidt auf Altenstadt.
Download PDF on: Universiteit Leiden www.acehbooks.org in Dutch.
Seumawe Bay Map was made in June 1880 with a scale of 1: 20,000.
Source: ANftl Aceh No. 40/1894. (Hardcopy)
I cropped the map above. I made two red circles, there we find the Dutch flag. This means that in the time this map was made, the Dutch had occupied Semawe Bay.
The blue arrow is the location of the fisherman in the first photograph.
Telok Semawe on Aceh Darussalam Kingdom Currency.
Before the Dutch occupation, Telok Semawe was the territory of the Aceh Darussalam Kingdom. This is evidenced by the inscription of Semawe Bay in the currency published by Sultan Jauharul 'Alam Syah bin Muhammad Syah in 1823 AD in Arabic script. This currency is called Keuh which is a currency made of lead, which is a small currency. The main currency is called Dirham Aceh made of gold.
Teluk Samawi (Telok Semawe) 1239 H (1823 AD).
Jauharul 'Alam Syah
The currencies containing the very bright name of the Sultan of Aceh Darussalam, Jauharul 'Alam Syah, and Semawe Bay, are rare currencies, and are currently in the collection of Culture, the Department of Transportation, Tourism and Culture of Regency. North Aceh. Images and narrations from
. Source: www.mapesaaceh.com
Image Telok-Semawe, photo taken from the sea, estimated year 895 - 1910. Groet uit Telok-Semawé, source media-kitlv.nl
Lhokseumawe
The area formerly known as the Telok Semawe (Teluk Samawi), has shifted the pronunciation and writing into Lhokseumawe. I have not come across the reason for the slump,as it seemed to happen suddenly in the early twentieth century.
Not all Acehnese know this information, some of us consider the origin of Lhokseumawe from Ie Meu-we-we (seawater swirling). Many parts of our past information such as disconnected with the origin and history of the nation itself, there is still much information that is still obscure.
Telok Semawe, a port area that is safe, comfortable, quiet and healthy.
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