| Banda Aceh | |
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| — City — | |
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Banda Aceh
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Banda Aceh
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Province | Aceh |
| City | 1956 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mawardi Nurdin |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 219,070 |
| Time zone | WIB (UTC+7) |
| Website | http://www.bandaacehkota.go.id/ |
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people.[1] Banda Aceh is located at the northwestern tip of Indonesia at the mouth of the River Krueng Aceh.
The city was originally named Kutaraja, and determined as the provincial capital in 1956.[2] Kuta Raja means "City of the King", in reference to the founding of the Aceh Sultanate from Champa origins. Later its name was changed to Bandar Aceh Darussalam or popularly known as Bandar Aceh, with the first part of the name coming from the Persian bandar (بندر) meaning "port" or "haven". Today the city is spelled Banda Aceh with the lost of "r" in "Bandar". The city is also dubbed to as the "port to Mecca", and Aceh is also referred to as the "porch of Mecca" (Indonesian: Serambi Mekkah), since in the past during the days when the hajj pilgrims travelled by sea, the hajj pilgrim from all over Indonesian archipelago traditionally always make a stop over in the city before continuing their journey to Mecca. It is also known that earliest Southeast Asian Islamic sultanates — such as Samudra Pasai — were first established in Aceh, which means Islam first arrived in Aceh before spreading throughout Southeast Asia.
Banda Aceh was not frequently the subject of international discussion until December 26, 2004, the day the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter, and suffered further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterward. It was the worst hit area out of all the locations hit. 167,000 people died and many more were injured.[3] The tsunamis resulted from an earthquake of magnitude 9.3 and struck at about 6:58am. The epicenter was about 155 miles off the coast of Banda Aceh.[4]
The elected mayor and vice-mayor of Banda Aceh are Mawardi Nurdin and Illiza Saaduddin.
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The city is divided administratively into 9 subdistricts (kecamatan)[5]:
Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport is located in Blang Bintang, 13.5 km from Banda Aceh.
Two main highways run out of Banda Aceh to the south. One runs down the eastern side of the province through main towns such as Bireuen and Lhokseumawe to Medan, the large capital of the province of North Sumatra. The other highway runs down the western side of the province through lesser-populated areas to the towns of Calang, Meulaboh, and Singkil. The main bus station called Terminal Terpadu Batoh is located at Jalan Mr. Teuku Muhammad Hasan.
Banda Aceh has two sea ports, Pelabuhan (port) Ulèë Lheuë and Pelabuhan Malahayati.[6]
Banda Aceh features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification, with near constant average temperatures. The city annual average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius and most days in Banda Aceh hovers around this mark. However, the city features wetter and drier seasons, with June through August being the driest months of the year. Like all cities with a tropical rainforest climate, Banda Aceh does not have a true dry season month; a month where less than 60 mm of precipitation falls on average. The city experiences on average a little less than 2000 mm of precipitation annually.
| Climate data for Banda Aceh | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.01 (80.62) |
26.88 (80.38) |
27.02 (80.64) |
27.30 (81.14) |
27.89 (82.20) |
27.99 (82.38) |
27.76 (81.97) |
27.76 (81.97) |
27.12 (80.82) |
26.72 (80.10) |
26.54 (79.77) |
26.86 (80.35) |
27.238 (81.028) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 256 (10.08) |
114 (4.49) |
117 (4.61) |
139 (5.47) |
143 (5.63) |
84 (3.31) |
95 (3.74) |
90 (3.54) |
161 (6.34) |
200 (7.87) |
225 (8.86) |
321 (12.64) |
1,945 (76.57) |
| Avg. rainy days | 8.5 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 12.4 | 10.3 | 9.2 | 10.6 | 12.5 | 15.5 | 14.3 | 12.7 | 128.5 |
| Source: [7] | |||||||||||||
The Grand Mosque, located in the heart of Banda Aceh, is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. The original mosque was built around the 12th century during the Sultanate of Iskandar Muda (1607-1636). It was rebuilt in 1875 after it was burnt down in the Aceh war. The architecture and interior design of the mosque is notable for having seven domes and four smaller towers along with a main tower. The mosque can accommodate up to 9,000 people.
Gunongan is a private playground and bathing place, built by Sultan Iskandar Muda, dedicated to his wife Putroe Phang. Gunongan was part of royal garden complex Taman Sari. [8][9]
A number of places near to the centre of Banda Aceh have been established as reminders of, and to provide information about, the impact of the December 2004 tsunami in the city. These include several mass burial centres, such as the graves at Ulee Lee, several places where boats were carried several kilometers inland by the tsunami (PLTD Apung 1, or the "Floating Diesel Plant", and the "Floating Boat on the Roof"), and the Tsunami museum.
Besides its landmarks, royal heritage sites, and beautiful beaches panorama that attract people to visit, Banda Aceh is also famous for its Warong Kupie (Coffee Shops) where specially brewed coffee is served. There are two kind of brewed coffees: Ulee Kareng and Brawe coffee.[10] [11]
Several festivals are held annually by the City[12] :
Surrounding Banda Aceh there are 3 beaches which may accessed in 15 to 20 minutes by vehicles, they are:[13]
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