Maimoon Palace

The Malay dynasty that once ruled the Sultanate of Deli was never recognized by the government of Republic Indonesia, nor it is cancelled by the law. During the restless time of the Indonesian Revolution (1945 – 1950), almost all of the royal family was slain by the mass. Among them was Amir Hamzah, the king poet of Pujangga Baru, one of the first literary movement in Indonesia. However, the dynasty’s pride, and once the symbol and the center of their existence, still remains.

Maimoon Palace stands on the east bank of Deli River and facing east. Its total estate is 217 x 200 m (approximately 2772 km2). Today it is a part of Aur Village, Medan Baru District, Medan City, 3 km from Polonia Airport and 28 km from Belawan Harbor. Stores and houses stretched along its southern side, while its northern side was bordered by Brigjen Katamso Street, an artery road of Medan City. The other artery road is Tanjung Meriam which stretched at the direction of the Deli River.

This palace is a landscape worth viewing. Little is changed with the palace’s architecture. The palace was dominated by yellow, a color associated with the throne among the Malays. 1 meter high iron fences surround Maimoon Palace. Before it stands, as is with the palaces of the Malays, a royal mosque, Al Masahun/Al Makmun Mosque. The mosque is also known as Mesjid Raya Medan (Medan Grand Mosque).

It was Sultan Ma’mun Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah, who was on the throne during 1873 – 1924, that built Maimoon Palace. The architect was an Italian (some says the architect was a Dutch named Th Van Erp) and the construction was finished in 26 August 1888. His Majesty’s reign was a historical period when Deli attracted many tobacco planters and businessmen. Deli tobacco was well-known for its high quality at the tobacco trading center in Dresden, Germany. Money and poured over the royal family of Deli, in contrast with the poverty of the laborers (known as coolie – kuli).

Parts of the palace
Maimoon palace consists of two floors and was divided into three parts, which are the main building, left wing and right wing. It has 40 rooms. There are 20 rooms over the court room and another 20 below the court room. The other rooms are toilets, buildings, kitchens, and underground prison. Its architecture is a combination of Islamic, Malays, Moghul, Middle Eastern, and European style.

The court, a 412 m2 hall in the main building, used to be the place of crowning ceremony of the sultan and the other custom ceremonies. On its walls are lines of the photos of the sultans and queens. This ornamented hall, most of which are Malay engravings, also stores regalia, such as kris, swords, royal umbrella, spears, tepak sirih (mug for chewing betel leaf) and so on.

This hall is also used by the sultan to accept honor by his people, royal family members, and envoys. Chandeliers lights the throne in the court room are signs of European influence. European influence also appears in the presence of chairs, toilet tables and cupboard as well as the rolling doors heading to the court and the tiles. In addition, the Dutch style was visible on the wide doors and windows, along with Spanish styled doors. Moreover, an epigraphy at the front part of the palace is written in Latin characters and uses Dutch language.

The Sultanate of Deli, however, was an Islamic-Malay kingdom, so that the presence of Islamic still is dominant. Islamic influence is visible with the presence of arcades at some parts of the palace’s roofs. This arc is known as “perahu terbalik” (stumbled boat) of Persian arc. This style is well-known throughout the Middle East, Turkish and India.

Socio-cultural value
The cultural value of this palace does not merely lies on its architecture but also on its layout. The palace was integrated with the mosque and the square. There are no walls dividing the palace with outside world except the low iron fences. It is believed that this integration was based on the mutual faith between the sultans and his people. The sultans believe that there would not be any harm to them from the people. This made the governance of the sultans more like cooperation with the people.

A sultan in Malay culture was recognized as merely a human being. However, there is a saying in Malay, “Sultan ditinggikan seranting dan didahulukan selangkah” (the sultan was heightened as tall as a branch and allowed to step a step before others). It means that the sultan, however a human being he is, still has to be respected and honored.

The myth around the palace
Just as Yogya Palce has its Ratu Laut Kidul (Queen of the South Sea) myth, so do the Maimoon Palace. The myth says that there was once a princess named Putri Hijau (Green Prince). The king of Aceh fell in love with her. He proposed a marriage but denied by the princess’ brothers. Soon a war broke. During the war, the brothers, Mambang Yazid and Mambang Khayali, each transformed into a dragon and a canon. The canon fired continuously toward the Aceh soldiers until it was broken into three parts. The three pieces still exist now and saved in Maimoon Palace, Sukanalu Village (Karo Land), and Deli Tua or Deli Serdang (Old Deli).

The myth was so popular among the locals that Maimoon Palace is also known as Istana Puteri Hijau (Green Princess Palace), while the canon is saved in a Karo styled house at the front right of the palace and considered as sacred.***

Photo credit: top-depart.com