History of Buton Sultanate in Wolio Palace Fort Baubau

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Sulawesi is an island with many natural resources and amazing tourist attractions. No wonder it is now one of the tourist destinations visited by local and foreign tourists. Who would have thought that in the Sulawesi Islands, there is a fort that is the largest fort in the world? Yes, its name is Buton Palace Fort. Buton Palace Fortress in Baubau City, Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi.

Buton Palace Fort was awarded by the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) and Guinness Book Records in September 2006 as the largest fort in the world with an area of about 23,375 hectares. In addition to being the largest fortress in the world, Buton Palace Fortress has a unique shape made of limestone. The fort used to be a place of defense but is now a tourist attraction that displays the history of the Buton Sultanate with stunning views of Baubau City.

The fort, which was built in the 16th century by the Sultan of Buton III named La Sangaji who was titled Sultan Kaimuddin (1591-1596), has 3 components.

First, Badili, or cannon. This tourist attraction is a cannon made of scrap metal measuring 2 to 3 fathoms. It is a former weapon of the Buton Sultanate of Portuguese and Dutch heritage that can be found in almost all fortresses in Baubau City.

Second, Lawa. In Wolio language, this means gate. Lawa serves as a link between the palace and the villages around the palace-fortress. There are 12 lawa in the palace fortress. The number 12 according to community beliefs represents the number of holes in the human body, so the palace fortress is likened to a human body. The 12 lawa have each name according to the title of the person who oversees it, the mention of lawa is coupled with the name. The word lawa is suffixed with 'na' to become 'lawana'. The suffix 'na' in the Buton language functions as a substitute for the word belonging to “nya”. Each lawa has a different shape but in general, it can be distinguished in shape, width, and construction, some are made of stone and combined with wood, a kind of gazebo on top that functions as an observation tower. 12 Names of lawa include: Lawana Rakia, Lawana Lanto, Lawana Labunta, Lawana Kampebuni, Lawana Waborobo, Lawana Dete, Lawana Kalau, Lawana Wajo or Bariya, Lawana Burukene or Tanailandu, Lawana Melai/Baau, Lawana Lantongau, and Lawana Gundu-gundu.

Third, Balarua. The word baluara comes from the Portuguese word baluer which means bastion. Baluara was built before the palace fort was established in 1613 during the reign of La Elangi/ Dayanu Ikhsanuddin (4th Sultan of Buton) along with the construction of the 'godo' (warehouse). Of the 16 baluaras, two of them have a godo located on top of the baluara. Each serves as a storage place for bullets and gunpowder. Each baluara has a different shape, adapted to the conditions of the land and place. The names of the baluara are named after the name of the village where the baluara is located. The name of the village was inside the palace-fortress during the Buton Sultanate. 16 Baluara names, namely: Baluarana Gama, Baluarana Litao, Baluarana Barangkatopa, Baluarana Wandailolo, Baluarana Baluwu, Baluarana Dete, Baluarana Kalau, Baluarana Godona Oba, Baluarana Wajo / Bariya, Baluarana Tanailandu, Baluarana Melai / Baau, Baluarana Godona Batu, Baluarana Lantongau, Baluarana Gundu-gundu, Baluarana Siompu and Baluarana Rakia.

Apart from seeing the fort that stands firmly along the Wolio hills and the beautiful view of the city of Baubau from a height, we can feel the thick Islamic nuances of the Buton Palace Mosque. The marble-floored mosque, which measures approximately 40 m2, was built in 1712 and is the oldest mosque in Southeast Sulawesi. Built during the sultanate of Sultan Sakiuddin Durul Alam, it is also a symbol of the glory of Islam at that time.

Because there are so many attractions here, one day is not enough to explore the entire Buton Palace Fort area. Not only can we get the history of the Buton sultanate here, but visitors can enjoy the beautiful city of Baubau from a height.