The Fun Facts about Krong Bade Traditional House of Aceh
- Kebudayaan.kemendikbud
VIVA – Indonesia has a lot of diverse wealth, from traditional dance, and clothes, to houses. Cities in Indonesia have traditional houses, one in Aceh. Aceh province has a traditional house, namely Krong Bade.
The Krong Bade house uses a lot of natural materials, apart from being a place to live, the carvings in the house are a marker of the owner's economic status. Unfortunately, the Krong Bade is almost extinct, because the Acehnese prefer to live in modern house.
It turns out that there are some interesting facts about the traditional house of Krong Bade Aceh. Here’s the information.
1. Shape of the Krong Bade House Building
The traditional Acehnese house is rectangular with an east-to-west direction, which makes it easy to determine the direction of the Qibla for Prayer.
Stairs are always odd. At the front of the house, there is a ladder with a height of about 2.5 - 3 meters which aims as a way to enter the house. The number of stairs in Krong Bade's house is always odd, or about seven to nine steps. It is a symbol of the religious nature of the Acehnese tribal community.
The main door of this traditional house is made lower than adults, about 120-150 cm. So, everyone who enters the house must bow. This becomes a symbol of guests who come to the owner of the house.
This typical Acehnese house is made of wood with a Rimba leaf. The division in the room of the house usually consists of three to five rooms, with one main room known as the Rambat.
2. Poles to Avoid Beast Attacks
Ornaments in this traditional house can be a symbol of the social status of the homeowner. The intricate shape of the ornament in a house indicates that the owner of the house is among the rich.
On the other side, a house on stilts without any carvings or ornaments indicates that the owner of the house is an ordinary person.
3. The Basement
The lower part of the house is used as a storage shed. Such as rice or other crops as well as a storage place for rice pounders. In addition, the basement is also used as a center for activities of women to make Acehnese fabrics. The sales process was carried out in the basement.
4. A House without Nails
Krong bade builds by using materials taken from nature because it is the meaning of people's lives which are close to nature.
This house is made without nails and only uses rope material, called Tahoe meu-ikat. This rope is made of rattan, palm fiber rope, and hibiscus tree bark.
5. Anti-Earthquake House
The traditional house of Aceh Krong Bade is also known as an anti-earthquake house. This is because the structure of the traditional Acehnese house was built without using nails, but using a tie connection technique, make it more flexible. Therefore, Aceh's traditional houses are safer from shocks caused by earthquakes.