Indrapatara Fort is one of the forts located on the north coast of Aceh. Apart from this fort, along the north coast there are several other forts, for example Fort Iskandar Muda, Fort Kuta Lubok, and Fort Inong Balee.
This fort was built during the Lamuri Kingdom, a Hindu kingdom in Aceh which later turned into an Islamic kingdom. At that time (around the 17th century), there were many trade activities between countries and involved many outsiders, such as Indians, Tamils, and Siamese, and Arabs. With so many visitors from outside, there are also fears of attacks from people who want to seize Aceh's territory. This fort, according to a source, was once used as a place of defense from Portuguese attacks that invaded Aceh.
Indra Patra Fort is located in the Ladong area, Aceh Besar District, approximately 19 kilometers from Banda Aceh City. According to records, the area of this fort is 70 × 70 meters, and initially there were three fort buildings, but now there are only two buildings with two stupas. Apart from the main building, there are other buildings in the vicinity that are used as cannon and ammunition storage sites. After the Hindu empire collapsed, this fort was still used as a defensive structure from enemies by Sultan Iskandar Muda and Admiral Malahayati.
"Archaeological expert Repelita Wahyu Oetomo, from the Medan Archeology Center, in his paper entitled 'Lamuri Was Islam Before Pasai' revealed that, architecturally, some parts of the fort still have pre-Islamic building motifs. This can be seen, among others, in the two wells in the main fort area which are shaped like a stupa. In terms of functionality, this fort has developed so that it was still used until the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda from the Aceh Sultanate.
