OLD BANTEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

 

OLD BANTEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Banten archaeological museum is located in the Old Banten area, precisely in Banten Village, Kasemen District. The Banten open-air site has several areas, namely the Banten Open-Site Museum, Surosowan Palace, Kaibon, Banten Grand Mosque, Spellwijk Fort and several other places.

1.SUROSOWAN

a.Surosowan Place Background

Surosowan Palace or often called Gedong Kedaton Pakuwon is the residence of the sultans of Banten, by the Dutch called Fort Diamant or City of Diamonds. According to the history of Banten, the Surasowan Palace was built during the reign of Maulana Hasanuddin (1526-1570). Then continued its construction by the second king of Banten, namely Maulana Yusuf (1570-1580).The architect was a Dutch national named Hendrik Lucaszoon Cardeel.

b. sorosowan palace function 

This building was once the residence of the sultan and his family and followers. Another function of the Surosowan Palace is as the center of the kingdom in running the government. But now, the Sorosowan Palace has become a historical place and a tourist spot for visitors. 

c. The history of the construction of the sorosowan palace

Surosowan Palace or often called Gedong Kedaton Pakuwon is the residence of the sultans of Banten, by the Dutch called Fort Diamant or the City of Diamonds. In the past, this palace was the center of political, economic, social and cultural activities. In addition to the cosmological and religio-magical views originating from the traditions of the Indonesian nation, the palace is a center of galb power that influences all people's lives. According to the history of Banten, the Surasowan Palace was built during the reign of Maulana Hasanuddin (1526-1570). Then continued its construction by the second king of Banten Maulana Yusuf (1570-1580) by building a fort wall composed of bricks and coral. During the reign of Sultan Haji (1672-1687) the four corners of the Surosowan Palace were transformed into bastions, besides that, the surrounding walls were strengthened by sticking rocks on the outside of the walls so that the fort was stronger. This change was made after the Surosowan Palace was destroyed by the war between Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa and the VOC. The architect is a Dutch national named Hendrik Lucaszoon Cardeel. In 1809 the Surosowan Palace was again destroyed, this time the destruction of the palace was carried out on the orders of Governor General Herman Daendels because the kingdom refused the Dutch request to send 1000 troops for forced labor.

d. Sorosowan palace location 

Surosowan Palace is located in Banten Village, Kasemen District, Serang, Banten. GPS Location: -6.0373843, 106.1552587, Waze (Android and iOS smartphones). Hotels in Serang, Tourist Attractions in Serang, Serang Tourist Map.

e. Building in Sorosowan palace

In 2018 the Banten Provincial Government, through the Department of Public Housing and Settlement Areas, carried out the arrangement of the Old Banten area, including at the Surosowan Palace Site. The arrangement includes making facilities and infrastructure including environmental management and landscaping. The structuring activity first relocated and demolished the kiosk building, especially on the north side of the Surosowan Palace. In the process, on the north side of Fort Surosowan, a number of structures have been found that have indications of being a cultural heritage. There was a finding that was suspected to be the structure, then in 2018 a study was carried out through scientific excavation activities (excavation). The results of excavations in 2018 found a rectangular structure that extends north-south, in addition to that, rock structures, boat moorings and loose finds in the form of foreign ceramics and earthenware were also found. Following up on the results of the excavations carried out in 2018, then in 2019 a thorough archaeological stripping (excavation) was carried out on the north side of the Surosowan Palace covering an area of 3,400 m². The excavations carried out in 2018 and 2019 were rescue excavations in the context of their preservation (protection, development and utilization). The results of the 2019 excavation activities on the north side of the Surosowan Palace managed to reveal several structures including a. rectangular structure measuring 15 mx 37 m, b. the suspected structure is a gate located between the fort of the Surosowan palace and the findings of a rectangular structure, c. canal staircase structure to the north of the findings of a rectangular structure. In addition to the findings of these structures, the excavation also found loose finds in the form of pottery fragments, foreign ceramics, Banten currency, foreign currency (VOC and China), cannon shells, cangklong pipes and several other fragments (iron fragments, horseshoe, animal bones, shingles, etc.). 

2. BANTEN ARCHAEOLOGIAL SITE MUSEUM

a.Background

The Old Banten Archaeological Site Museum is a public museum located in the Old Banten Site Area. The inauguration of the museum was carried out on July 15, 1985 by the Directorate General of Culture, namely Harjati Soebadio. The land area of the museum is 10,000 m2, while the building area is 778 m2. The idea of building a museum emerged from the collaboration between the National Archaeological Research Center in collaboration with the Directorate for the Protection of Historical and Archaeological Heritage Development. These two agencies conducted research and restoration at the Old Banten Site. The management of the museum was handed over to the Banten Cultural Heritage Preservation Center. The Sultanate of Banten once triumphed in the 16th to 17th centuries. Trade that occurred through the Karangantu port made this region prosperous and prosperous. Now, the story of the Sultanate of Banten is only history, but its glory and legacy can still be seen at the Old Banten Archaeological Site Museum.

b. Relics inside the Banten archaeological site museum 

Entering the museum area, at the front there is a Ki Amuk cannon which has a size of 2.5 m and is made of copper. This cannon is the loot from the Portuguese army when they want to control the city of Banten. There is also a decoration of the gate of the Surowsoawan Palace made of stone lined up in the front yard of the museum. Meanwhile, the ruins of the palace gate made of coral are fenced off to guard against things that can damage this historic object. Entering the museum building, visitors will be greeted with 2 large pottery. Although it looks cracked and patched on the sides, this pottery still looks strong and shows the remnants of the glory days of the Old Banten Kingdom. Walking to the left side of the building, there is a picture that explains the glory of the Sultanate of Banten through Karangantu Harbor. Seen in the picture, Banten has become a developed port city, where traders interact and communicate with each other. Traders who came to Banten at that time were mostly Chinese, Persian and Portuguese traders. One of the interesting pictures is a picture that tells of two Banten envoys who were sent to England in 1682, namely Kyai Ngabehi Naya Wipraya and Kyai Ngabehi Jaya Sedana. They were both sent by the Sultan to buy war equipment. When he met the British king Charles II, this envoy from Banten received the titles of Sir Abdul and Sir Ahmad. At the back, this museum has the remains of household furniture. Items in the form of ceramics, glasses, and bowls are dominated by white. There are also keys and padlocks during the Old Banten period. In addition, in this museum there is also a collection of weapons such as kris and spears that adorn one corner of the room. Towards the exit of the museum, there is a nandi statue which is a relic of Hindu-Buddhist culture. This statue is a vehicle or vehicle of Lord Shiva. This statue was originally placed in Pancaniti, Serang Regency. Then it was lost and rediscovered east of Karangantu Harbor after previously being a collection of the old Banten Archaeological Site Museum.

c. The location of the banten archaeological site museum

This museum is located at Jalan Masjid Agung Banten, Serang Regency, Banten Province. Its coordinates are 6°02'10.6” South Latitude and 106°09'21.0” East Longitude. This museum can be reached via 3 different routes. First, from Karangantu Station as far as 900 meters. Second, from Pandeglang Terminal with a distance of 39.2 kilometers. While the third route from Merak Port is 30.6 kilometers.

3. GREAT MOSQUE OF BANTEN

a.Background

The Great Mosque of Banten was founded in 1566 AD when Maulana Hasanuddin served as the first Sultan of Banten in 1552-1570. This is the legacy of the Banten sultanate which still stands strong today. Like other mosques in the archipelago, the Great Mosque of Banten has a rectangular layout with a unique design. The architecture is a blend of Javanese, Chinese, and European architecture. This is because the construction involved three architects from different countries. Raden Sepat is the main architect from Majapahit who also worked on the Cirebon Mosque; Tjek Ban Tjut architect from China; and Hendrik Lucaz Cardeel from the Netherlands. For their services to uphold the symbol of the greatness of Islam, Tjek Ban Tjut was awarded the title of nobility from the sultanate by the name of Prince Adiguna. Meanwhile, Hendrik Lucaz Cardeel who was later found to have embraced Islam received the title of Prince Wiraguna. 

b. The shape of the Mosque Agung of Banten and surrounding 

tower building with an Islamic point of view. The octagon is said to be the result of the division of 24 divided by 3. Twenty-four is a symbol of time, 24 hours. While 3 is a symbol of worship, ma'isyah (source of livelihood) and istirohah (rest). So, the message that I want to convey is that Muslims make the best use of time for these three things, each of which has an allocation of 8 hours. Another work of Hendrik Lucaz Cardeel is Tiamah to the south of the mosque. Namely, a building like a pavilion that was often used by Banten clerics and umara to discuss religious issues. The European style is very evident in the building, especially in the large windows on the upper level. The window is intended to regulate the circulation of light and air. Now Tiamah is used to store relics of the Sultanate of Banten. Currently, the Great Mosque of Banten is included in the Banten Lama Village area, about 10 km north of Serang City, the capital of Banten Province. Its existence is a religious, historical, educational, and cultural tourist destination. On major Islamic holidays, such as the commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, thousands of pilgrims from inside and outside the area unite to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. 

c. The location of the Mosque Agung of Banten 

The Great Mosque of Banten is located in Banten Lama Village, Kasemen District, in Serang City, Banten Province. 

4. SPEELWIJCK CASTLE

a.Background

In building this fort, the Dutch commissioned an architect named Hendrick Loocaszoon Cardeel to design the building. Fort Speelwick was founded in the 17th century, more precisely when Abu Nasr Abdul Qohhar or Sultan Haji (1672-1684) ruled in Banten. Meanwhile, the name Fort Speelwijk was taken from the name of the 14th Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, Cornelis Janszoon Speelman. Before building Fort Speelwijk in Kasemen, the Dutch first asked permission from Sultan Haji. The Dutch said they would use this fort as a shelter from attacks by the followers of Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa. Sultan Tirtayasa is the father of Sultan Haji who is known to be very anti-Dutch, in contrast to his son. Construction of Fort Speelwijk began in 1681 and was completed in 1684, then underwent an expansion in 1731. In building the fort, Hendrick Loocaszoon Cardeel was assisted by workers from the Chinese who were paid very low wages. 

b. Speelwijk Fortress function 

Fort Speelwijk became one of the symbols of Dutch power in the Banten region after Sultan Haji cooperated with the VOC. The existence of this fort further strengthened the position of the Dutch in their efforts to monopolize the pepper and pepper trade from South Lampung. This fort was also used as a defense base and settlement of the Dutch in Banten. Therefore, around the fort can be found the tombs of the nobles and Dutch soldiers. In addition, Fort Speelwijk was also used by the Dutch to oversee the activities of the Sultanate of Banten. 

c. Speelwijck Fort building complex 

This fort building has a rectangular plan and is surrounded by a three-meter-high defensive wall, in which each corner has a bastion or guard room. On the outside of the fort there is a moat that serves to make it difficult for enemies to enter or attack. Meanwhile, in Fort Speelwijk, you can find the commander's house, church, weapons and gunpowder storage room, administrative office, and chamber of commerce. Unfortunately, the rooms in the fort have now been destroyed and only the foundation remains. Only parts of Fort Speelwijk such as walls and bastions that can still be enjoyed in its beauty. In addition, there are also burial complexes of the Dutch people, one of which is the tomb belonging to the warlord, Commander Hugo Pieter Faure (1718-1763). 

d. location of Fort Speelwijck 

Location Fort Speelwijk is located about 500 meters from the Great Mosque of Banten and Surosowan Palace. Speelwijk Fort is located in Pamarican village about 600 meters to the northwest of Surosowan Palace, Old Banten Site.