Eight World Heritage Sites Are Endangered
Eight World Heritage Sites Are Endangered
History expert from Medan State University, Dr. Ikhwan Azhari, said that eight world heritage sites in North Sumatra were in danger of being destroyed because they lacked protection from the government.
In a meeting with the North Sumatra Provincial Government in Medan, Wednesday (16/06), Ikhwan Azhari said that the eight world heritages are historical old buildings, an oil refinery in Pangkalan Brandan, Barus city site, Putri Hijau fort, Portibi Temple, Chinese city. and the city of Rantang, a trail of world war and Bukit Kerang.
He explained that there are quite a lot of historical old buildings in North Sumatra, but many are left neglected, and some are torn down because they are called a Dutch colonial heritage.
In fact, based on a study of the types of buildings in the Netherlands, the old historical buildings in North Sumatra are different from the housing and office models in the country of the windmills.
"Old buildings in North Sumatra are not of Dutch heritage but resemble most buildings in Europe," said the Director of the Center for Historical Studies at Unimed.
Then, said Ikhwan, the oil refinery in Pangkalan Brandan, Langkat Regency, although it is no longer operating, has become an icon in world oil production.
The refinery at Pangkalan Brandan, which has been operating since 1953, is the second oil drilling location in the world after the United States (1949).
Likewise with various sites in the Barus area in Central Tapanuli Regency which had been the center of world trade since prehistoric times.
"One of the area's well-known products is kapu which is known as 'camphor'," he said.
The high historical value in Barus is evident from the number of world archaeologists, especially France, who conducted research and excavations in the area on the west coast of North Sumatra.
"But ironically, we actually abandoned the site," said the Ikhwan.
As for the Putri Hijau fort, which is located in the Delitua area, Deli Serdang Regency, is a historical legacy that has always been contested since the kingdom era to the colonial period.
Uniquely, the Putri Hijau fortress was never destroyed despite the changing times and various European archaeologists proposed to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be included as a world heritage list.
"But the Putri Hijau fortress was unable to withstand the bulldozers," said the Ikhwan.
The city of China and the city of Rantang in the Medan Marelan area have historical value because they were the center of trade on the island of Sumatra in the XII century.
Likewise, the traces of the second world war in North Sumatra, known as the “Medan Area” battle which lasted for days and caused quite a lot of casualties.
When viewed from the duration of the fighting and the damage that occurred, the Battle of the Medan Area was far more devastating than the 10 November incident in Surabaya and the burning of the city of Bandung.
"However, the location of the former battle in the Medan Area was only used as a place to sell cabbage," he said.
Another case with the Bukit Kerang site in Langkat, which had become a city of international trade in prehistoric times.
"Maybe because of ignorance or poverty, the place was actually destroyed and turned into a place to live," said the Ikhwan.
He really hopes that the government, especially the North Sumatra Provincial Government, can maintain the eight world heritage sites that are believed to be able to attract the attention of tourists who care about historical values.
The Ikhwan gave an example of Malaysia's success since Mahathir Mohammad's leadership, which was able to generate foreign exchange up to billions of US dollars from tours of historical buildings.
"What they sell is not natural beauty, but historical value because so many want to see it,"
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