Pagaruyung Palace

 

The former Pagaruyung Kingdom's royal palace is located in Tanjung Emas subdistrict in Batusangkar town, Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It was constructed in the traditional Minangkabau Rumah Gadang vernacular architectural style, but with a few unique features, such as a three-story building and a bigger footprint than most rumah gadang.

No monarch or royal family has resided in the palace since the Pagaruyung Kingdom was disbanded in 1833, but it is still regarded in great regard among Minangkabau people, as descendants of scattered Minang nobles still find roots and linkages to the ancient royal house of Pagaruyung. The palace has been burned down on multiple occasions, including in 1804, 1966, and 2007. It was reconstructed and is now used as a museum and a major tourist destination.

The original Pagaruyung palace was constructed entirely of wood masonry, while the current building frame is made of modern concrete. Nonetheless, the Istano Basa Pagaruyung was meticulously rebuilt using traditional techniques and materials, and 60 carvings representing Minang philosophy and culture were added.

The palace is three floors tall, with 72 pillars and the traditional Rumah gadang gonjong roof, which is built of 26 tons of black ijuk weren palm fibers and shaped like a horn. The palace is also outfitted with approximately 100 replicas of Minang antique furniture and artifacts, with the goal of reviving the palace as a Minangkabau cultural center and a West Sumatra tourist attraction.

The first Pagaruyung palace, which was built on Batu Patah Hill and burned down after a disturbance during the Padri War in 1804, was built on Batu Patah Hill. The palace was reconstructed, but a fire in 1966 destroyed it once more. In 1976, the structure was rebuilt as a copy of the historic Pagaruyung palace. It was created after the suppression of the West Sumatra-based Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) movement in 1958. In 1976, then-West Sumatra governor Harun Zen began construction of the Istano Basa Pagaruyung as a means of recovering the Minang community's waning pride following the persecution. The renovation of the palace began on December 27, 1976, when West Sumatra Governor Harun Zain erected the tunggak tuo (main columns). The palace became well-known as a museum and tourist attraction after it was completed. This structure was not constructed on the intended location, but rather was relocated to the south.

On the evening of February 27, 2007, the palace was destroyed by fire after the roof was struck by lightning. Only 15% of the important artifacts were estimated to have survived the fire. The artifacts that have survived are now kept in Balai Benda Purbakala Kabupaten Tanah Datar (Archaeology Authority of Tanah Datar Regency). Silinduang Bulan Palace, roughly 2 kilometers from Pagaruyung Palace, housed the Pagaruyung Kingdom's pusaka or heirloom. The building's restoration took six years and cost an estimated RP20 billion (US$1,71 million). In October 2013, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially opened the structure.

 

Sources :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagaruyung_Palace