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Banda Aceh

City and provincial capital

City of Banda Aceh
Kota Banda Aceh

Regional transcription(s)

• Jawoë

كوتا بند اچيه

Baiturrahman Grand Mosque

Aceh Tsunami Museum

Seulawah 001 Monument

Gunongan Historical Park

Kerkhof Peucut

Flag	Coat of arms

Nickname(s):

Kota Serambi Mekkah
(the Porch of Mecca)

Motto(s):

Saboeh Pakat Tabangun Banda

Location within Aceh

Banda Aceh

Location in Sumatra

Banda Aceh

Location in Indonesia

Banda Aceh

Location in Bay of Bengal

Region

Aceh

Founded

April 22, 1205; 820 years ago

Area

• City and provincial capital

61.36 km² (23.69 sq mi)

• Metro

2,935.36 km² (1,133.35 sq mi)

Elevation

0–10 m (0–32.9 ft)

Population

(mid 2023 estimate)

• City and provincial capital

261,969

• Density

4,269.4/km² (11,057.6/sq mi)

• Metro

513,698

• Metro density

175.0034/km² (453.2567/sq mi)

Demonyms

Acehnese
Warga Aceh (id)
Kawom Aceh (ace)

Demographics

• Ethnic groups

Acehnese
Javanese
Batak
Chinese
Arabs
Indian

• Religion

Islam 97.09%
Buddhism 1.13%
Christianity 0.89%
- Protestantism 0.70%
- Catholic 0.19%
Hinduism 0.02%
Others 0.85%

• Languages

Indonesian (official)
Acehnese (regional)

Time zone

UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)

Postal code

23000

Area code

(+62) 651

Vehicle registration

HDI (2023)

0.887 (Very High)

Banda Aceh is the capital and largest city in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra. The city covers about 61 square kilometers and had a population of over 261,000 people in mid-2023.

Banda Aceh is found at the northwestern tip of Indonesia, near the mouth of the Aceh River. It is almost completely surrounded by Aceh Besar Regency. To the north, it borders the Strait of Malacca. Many parts of the city have grown into nearby areas of Aceh Besar.

The city was first known as Bandar Aceh Darussalam Kandang. It became the capital and main center for the Sultanate of Aceh in the late 1400s. Its name later changed to Bandar Aceh Darussalam and then to Banda Aceh. The word bandar means "port" or "haven" in Persian. The city is also called the "porch of Mecca" (Serambi Mekkah). This is because hajj pilgrims from Indonesia used to stop here before continuing their journey to Mecca.

Banda Aceh has often been a place of conflict. The Acehnese people fought against foreign powers like the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the Japanese. The city became famous worldwide after the huge 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004. This earthquake happened off the coast of Sumatra.

Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's center. It was badly damaged by the earthquake and a tsunami that followed. About 60,000 people in the city died, and many more were hurt. After the tsunami, there was less conflict in the city and province. A lot of help from Indonesia and other countries led to a big rebuilding effort over the last ten years.

Discovering Banda Aceh's Past

Banda Aceh is located at the very tip of Sumatra. It has always been an important place for travel and trade in the eastern Indian Ocean.

Early Mentions of Banda Aceh

The first time Westerners wrote about the city was in 1292. Marco Polo and his group visited the city, calling it 'Lambri'. This name came from the Lamuri Kingdom that was there before. Travelers from Arabia and India often stopped here first when coming to Indonesia.

In the mid-1300s, Ibn Battuta also visited the city. At that time, it was controlled by the trading kingdom of Samudera Pasai. This kingdom was very powerful in northern Sumatra.

The Rise of the Sultanate

The Pasai kingdom started to weaken due to economic problems and pressure from the Portuguese. The Portuguese took over many areas after capturing Malacca in the early 1500s.

Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah started the new Sultanate of Aceh. He quickly expanded his rule in the 1520s. The sultanate was built on the remains of Pasai and other old kingdoms. Banda Aceh became the capital, and the Sultan named it Kutaraja, meaning 'City of the King'.

Koetaradja (Banda Aceh) old map

Conflicts with European Powers

After a long time under the sultanate's rule, Aceh started having problems with the Dutch and British. This happened in the late 1700s. The British took over Aceh's land in the Malay Peninsula, like Kedah and Pulau Pinang.

In 1871, the Dutch began to threaten Aceh. On March 26, 1873, the Dutch officially declared war. They bombed the capital that year. They tried to capture the sultan's palace to make the Acehnese surrender.

The British helped Aceh a lot, making the city stronger. Even though some coastal areas were lost, the Dutch did not expect the city's strong defenses. The Dutch commander, General Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler, was killed in a fight near the city. This led to the failure of their first attack.

A second Dutch attack happened a few months later and was successful in taking over the city. The Dutch entered the capital in January 1874. They thought the Acehnese had given up. However, the fighting moved to the countryside, and the Acehnese kept fighting against Dutch rule.

A train station in Koetaradja (Banda Aceh) around 1870–1900

Modern History and the Tsunami

On December 28, 1962, the city became part of the Republic of Indonesia. Its name was changed back to Banda Aceh on May 9, 1963.

On December 26, 2004, a huge tsunami hit the city. It was caused by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean. This disaster killed 167,000 people in Banda Aceh. More than 60% of the city's buildings were destroyed.

Banda Aceh from above after the tsunami disaster, 2004

In May 2012, Banda Aceh had about 248,727 people. By 2020, the population was 252,899. The official estimate for mid-2022 was 257,635.

In December 2023, students in Aceh protested about Rohingya refugees in Banda Aceh. They wanted the refugees to be sent away.

Faith and Culture in Banda Aceh

The main religion in Banda Aceh is Islam. There are also smaller groups of Buddhists, Christians (both Protestant and Catholic), and Hindus.

Places of Worship

Banda Aceh has four old churches: the Hati Kudus Catholic church, Western Indonesian Protestant church (GPIB), Methodist church, and the Batak Protestant Church (HKBP). There are 93 mosques and 112 mushollas (places for Islamic prayer). The city also has a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple.

The Hindu community includes both Balinese Hindus and Tamil Hindus from India.

Indonesia has a special police force called the religious police. They make sure Islamic laws are followed in Aceh, which is a province with many Muslims. They are known for being very strict.

Banda Aceh's Weather

Banda Aceh has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it has warm temperatures all year round. The average temperature is about 27.3 degrees Celsius (81.1 degrees Fahrenheit).

Wet and Dry Seasons

The city has wetter and drier times of the year. June, July, and August are usually the driest months. However, like other places with a tropical rainforest climate, Banda Aceh does not have a truly dry season. Even in the driest month, it still gets about 90 millimeters (3.5 inches) of rain. On average, the city gets a little less than 2000 millimeters (78.7 inches) of rain each year.

Climate data for Banda Aceh
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	34.6 (94.3)	37.0 (98.6)	35.8 (96.4)	36.0 (96.8)	36.6 (97.9)	37.0 (98.6)	37.9 (100.2)	39.0 (102.2)	38.0 (100.4)	36.0 (96.8)	35.4 (95.7)	36.1 (97.0)	39.8 (103.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	27.8 (82.0)	28.8 (83.8)	31.0 (87.8)	32.0 (89.6)	30.0 (86.0)	30.3 (86.5)	30.1 (86.2)	30.9 (87.6)	30.1 (86.2)	30.5 (86.9)	28.9 (84.0)	27.9 (82.2)	29.9 (85.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	25.9 (78.6)	26.5 (79.7)	27.3 (81.1)	28.3 (82.9)	27.6 (81.7)	27.9 (82.2)	27.5 (81.5)	28.2 (82.8)	27.4 (81.3)	28.0 (82.4)	26.8 (80.2)	26.2 (79.2)	27.3 (81.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	24.1 (75.4)	24.2 (75.6)	23.7 (74.7)	24.6 (76.3)	25.2 (77.4)	25.6 (78.1)	24.9 (76.8)	25.6 (78.1)	24.7 (76.5)	25.5 (77.9)	24.7 (76.5)	24.5 (76.1)	24.8 (76.6)
Record low °C (°F)	18.0 (64.4)	15.0 (59.0)	15.6 (60.1)	15.5 (59.9)	13.0 (55.4)	8.0 (46.4)	16.5 (61.7)	11.6 (52.9)	17.8 (64.0)	14.0 (57.2)	11.4 (52.5)	15.6 (60.1)	8.0 (46.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	155 (6.1)	103 (4.1)	109 (4.3)	121 (4.8)	152 (6.0)	90 (3.5)	97 (3.8)	107 (4.2)	161 (6.3)	194 (7.6)	209 (8.2)	236 (9.3)	1,734 (68.2)

How Banda Aceh is Organized

Banda Aceh is divided into nine districts called kecamatan. Each district has several urban villages, known as gampong.

Mayor's office of Banda Aceh

Kode Wilayah	Name of District (kecamatan)	Area in km²	Pop'n at 2010 Census	Pop'n at 2020 Census	Pop'n mid 2023 Estimate	No. of villages	Post codes
11.71.03	Meuraksa	7.26	16,484	26,861	25,920	16	23232 - 23234
111.71.08	Jaya Baru	3.78	22,031	25,939	27,240	9	23230 - 23236
11.71.07	Banda Raya	4.79	20,891	25,228	26,650	10	23238 - 23239
11.71.01	Baiturrahman	4.54	30,377	32,513	34,110	10	23241 - 23245
11.71.05	Lueng Bata	5.34	23,592	24,336	25,800	9	23244 - 23249
11.71.02	Kuta Alam	10.05	42,217	42,505	44,840	11	23126 - 23127
11.71.06	Kuta Raja	5.21	10,433	15,291	14,940	6	23128 - 23142
11.71.04	Syiah Kuala	14.24	34,850	32,969	34,540	10	23111 - 23116
11.71.09	Ulee Kareng	6.15	22,571	27,257	27,930	9	23117 - 23119
	Totals	61.36	223,446	252,899	261,969	90

Many parts of Banda Aceh are actually outside the city's official borders. They are located in Aceh Besar Regency.

Exploring Banda Aceh: Tourist Spots

As the capital of Aceh province, Banda Aceh has many important places. These landmarks tell the story of the Acehnese people and their past rulers.

The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque was first built a long time ago, during the rule of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607–1636). It was rebuilt in 1875 after being burned during the Aceh war. The mosque has seven domes and four smaller towers, plus a main tower. It can hold up to 9,000 people.

Baiturrahman Grand Mosque

Gunongan Historical Park was a private playground and bathing spot. Sultan Iskandar Muda built it for his wife, Putroe Phang. Gunongan was part of a larger royal garden complex called Taman Sari.

Gunongan

Several places in Banda Aceh are memorials to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. These include mass burial sites like the graves at Ulee Lheue. You can also see places where the tsunami carried boats far inland. One is the PLTD Apung 1, a "Floating Diesel Plant." Another is the "Floating Boat on the Roof." The Aceh Tsunami Museum also teaches about the disaster. The PLTD Apung 1 was near Ule Lheue beach. The tsunami moved it close to the city center. It is now a very important landmark in Banda Aceh.

Dutch Kerkhof Poucut Cemetery is a Dutch military burial ground. It is near the city center, next to the tsunami museum. The name combines Kerkhof (Dutch for 'graveyard') and poucut (Acehnese for 'prince'). This cemetery is the largest Dutch military cemetery outside the Netherlands. It has about 2,200 graves of Dutch soldiers and recruits from other places.

Kerkhoff Poucut entry gate

The Aceh Museum is one of Indonesia's oldest museums. It was first opened in 1915. After Indonesia became independent in 1945, the local government took ownership of the museum. In 1969, it moved to its current location. The museum displays many items related to Aceh's history and culture.

Aceh Museum

Kuil Palani Andawer is Aceh's oldest and only Hindu Temple.

Palani Andawer Temple

Annual Festivals in Banda Aceh

The city holds several festivals every year:

Banda Aceh Festival
Festival Krueng Aceh Peunayong
Festival Geulayang Tunang (kite festival)
Festival Kupi
Indonesia City Expo
Thaipusam

Beaches Near Banda Aceh

There are three beaches close to Banda Aceh that you can reach by car or motorcycle:

Ujông Batèë Beach
Lhôk Nga Beach
Lam Pu'uk Beach (the most developed of the three)

Getting Around Banda Aceh

You will often see motorized becaks in Banda Aceh. Taxis and minibuses, called labi-labi, are also common ways to travel. Since 2018, you can also use online transportation services like Grab and Gojek.

Air and Sea Travel

Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport is located about 13.5 kilometers (8.4 miles) from Banda Aceh.

Banda Aceh has two seaports. Pelabuhan (port) Ulèë Lheuë used to be the main seaport. Now, it works as a ferry terminal and is in the Meuraksa area. Pelabuhan Malahayati is the current main seaport. It is in Krueng Raya, about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Banda Aceh. This port is mainly used for cargo.

Roads and Public Transport

Two main highways start from Banda Aceh and go south. One runs along the eastern side of the province. It passes through towns like Bireuen and Lhokseumawe to Medan. Medan is the large capital of North Sumatra. The other highway goes down the western side of the province. It passes through less populated areas to towns like Calang, Meulaboh, and Singkil.

The main bus station, Terminal Terpadu Batoh, is on Jalan Mr. Teuku Muhammad Hasan. The Banda Aceh-Sigli Toll Road is currently being built. It is part of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road and connects to Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport.

Since May 2016, Banda Aceh has a bus rapid transit system called Trans Koetaradja. It started with one line from Keudah to Darussalam. In 2017, two more lines were added. One connects the airport to Pasar Aceh. The other connects Pelabuhan Ulèë Lheuë (Port) to Pasar Aceh. From 2016 to 2018, this transportation was free for passengers, thanks to government help.

Sports in Banda Aceh

Banda Aceh has several places for sports and recreation.

Sport Complexes and Fields

Lapangan Blang Padang is a large park in the center of Banda Aceh. People have used it for sports for many years. It has a jogging track, volleyball court, football pitch, basketball court, and food courts. There is also a famous replica of RI 001, Indonesia's first plane, at Lapangan Blang Padang.

Other sport complexes in Banda Aceh include: Lapangan Neusu, Komplek Harapan Bangsa, Lapangan Gelanggang Unsyiah, and Lapangan Tugu.

Indoor Sport Halls

Banda Aceh has several indoor sport halls (called Gelanggang Olah Raga or GOR). These halls have hosted many different sports events. Some of them are GOR KONI, GOR Dista, GOR Pango, and GOR A. Madjid Ibrahim Unsyiah.

Football Stadiums

The city has two main football stadiums:

Harapan Bangsa Stadium (can seat 45,000 people)
H. Dimurthala Stadium (can seat 20,000 people). This is the home stadium for Persiraja Banda Aceh and Kuala Nanggroe F.C.

There are also smaller stadiums in the city, such as Syiah Kuala University Stadium and Lambhuk Mini Stadium.

News and Media in Banda Aceh

Banda Aceh at night

The oldest newspaper in the Banda Aceh area is Serambi Indonesia. Other newspapers like Harian Aceh, Rakyat Aceh, and ProHaba are also available.

Kutaraja TV and Aceh TV are local TV stations based in Banda Aceh. They are privately owned. The public TV station TVRI Aceh also covers the city, even though its studios are in nearby Aceh Besar.