Benteng Somba Opu
Benteng Somba Opu (Fort Somba Opu), Barombong, Gowa, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Another disappointing place to visit. I will attempt to put some words in the caption later and also post a few images of the ruin and others. A showcase that ended like a fart in a hot skillet.
--- contd. ---
The complex is in a state of disarray - poor signage, unkempt compound, and some of the so-called "cultural showcase" of "rumah adat", the traditional vernacular architecture of the houses of the various ethnic groups in Makassar are in dilapidated conditions. One fine day the poorly maintained timber buildings will kiss the ground. I also suspected some locals took advantage of the lack of surveillance of the historical site to encroach and squat in some of the houses. Young children in school uniforms playing truant while puffing away, and individuals loitering and napping under some of the stilted houses. The presence of the Gowa Discovery theme park nearby doesn't bode well to promote Somba Opu as a historical destination worthy to visit. The scenario seems unwelcome. I had a bowl of "cendul" sold by a hawker under a tree and moved away as quickly as I came. In the words of the cab driver, the place is "... tidak terawat." Justice has to be done by the relevant authorities to this important historical site!
Here's a version of the historical background. You may want to indulge the details by reading some of the blogs and articles available in the net.
The administrative center of the Gowa Kingdom at Tamalate was moved to Somba Opu during the reign of Raja Gowa XIII, Pakere Tau Tunijallo ri Passukki and a fortress was built by the successor Raja Gowa IX, Daeng Matanre Karaeng Tumapa'risi' Kallonna. The rectangular fortress was further reinforced by subsequent rulers and equipped with high caliber cannons at the bastions. The fortress, one of the many that were built was ultimately bombarded by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and was razed to the ground during the Makassar War.
There are many versions of the historic war between the two great powers - Gowa under Raja Gowa XVI, Sultan Hasanuddin Tumenanga Ri Balla Pangkana and the VOC under the command of Admiral Cornelis Speelman. The third party that contributed to the downfall of the Gowa Kingdom was Arung Palakka, the Bugis prince whom many historians suspect was Sultan Hasanuddin’s own son. Literary texts written based on narrated oral traditions led many to believe the names mentioned, Karaeng Tunisombaya was Sultan Hasanuddin and Karaeng Andi Patunru his own son. The tension starts to build up after the royal seer, Karaeng Botolempangang identifies Karaeng Andi Panturu as the prophesized enemy and was ordered be killed. Karaeng Andi Panturu fled Gowa with his half-brother, Karaeng Patta Belo and they live in fear, but with vengeance to reclaim his dignity and honor which he has lost through his long flight. The storyteller reconciles self-vindication by foreign aggression – the Dutch; with the intended purpose to euphemize the issue of betrayal to collaboration.
The downfall of Gowa in 1669 marked the end of a successful era of the great kingdom and the beginning of total Dutch hegemony in the important trading region. Sultan Hasanuddin died in Makassar on 12 June 1670 at the age of 39 and was laid to rest at the royal mausoleum at Katangka, Sungguminasa, Gowa, Makassar.
Ref. and suggested reading:
The Narrative of War in Makassar: Its Ambiguities and Contradictions, by Ivie Carbon Esteban. Sari - International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation 28(1) (2010): 129-149.
Benteng Somba Opu
Benteng Somba Opu (Fort Somba Opu), Barombong, Gowa, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Another disappointing place to visit. I will attempt to put some words in the caption later and also post a few images of the ruin and others. A showcase that ended like a fart in a hot skillet.
--- contd. ---
The complex is in a state of disarray - poor signage, unkempt compound, and some of the so-called "cultural showcase" of "rumah adat", the traditional vernacular architecture of the houses of the various ethnic groups in Makassar are in dilapidated conditions. One fine day the poorly maintained timber buildings will kiss the ground. I also suspected some locals took advantage of the lack of surveillance of the historical site to encroach and squat in some of the houses. Young children in school uniforms playing truant while puffing away, and individuals loitering and napping under some of the stilted houses. The presence of the Gowa Discovery theme park nearby doesn't bode well to promote Somba Opu as a historical destination worthy to visit. The scenario seems unwelcome. I had a bowl of "cendul" sold by a hawker under a tree and moved away as quickly as I came. In the words of the cab driver, the place is "... tidak terawat." Justice has to be done by the relevant authorities to this important historical site!
Here's a version of the historical background. You may want to indulge the details by reading some of the blogs and articles available in the net.
The administrative center of the Gowa Kingdom at Tamalate was moved to Somba Opu during the reign of Raja Gowa XIII, Pakere Tau Tunijallo ri Passukki and a fortress was built by the successor Raja Gowa IX, Daeng Matanre Karaeng Tumapa'risi' Kallonna. The rectangular fortress was further reinforced by subsequent rulers and equipped with high caliber cannons at the bastions. The fortress, one of the many that were built was ultimately bombarded by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and was razed to the ground during the Makassar War.
There are many versions of the historic war between the two great powers - Gowa under Raja Gowa XVI, Sultan Hasanuddin Tumenanga Ri Balla Pangkana and the VOC under the command of Admiral Cornelis Speelman. The third party that contributed to the downfall of the Gowa Kingdom was Arung Palakka, the Bugis prince whom many historians suspect was Sultan Hasanuddin’s own son. Literary texts written based on narrated oral traditions led many to believe the names mentioned, Karaeng Tunisombaya was Sultan Hasanuddin and Karaeng Andi Patunru his own son. The tension starts to build up after the royal seer, Karaeng Botolempangang identifies Karaeng Andi Panturu as the prophesized enemy and was ordered be killed. Karaeng Andi Panturu fled Gowa with his half-brother, Karaeng Patta Belo and they live in fear, but with vengeance to reclaim his dignity and honor which he has lost through his long flight. The storyteller reconciles self-vindication by foreign aggression – the Dutch; with the intended purpose to euphemize the issue of betrayal to collaboration.
The downfall of Gowa in 1669 marked the end of a successful era of the great kingdom and the beginning of total Dutch hegemony in the important trading region. Sultan Hasanuddin died in Makassar on 12 June 1670 at the age of 39 and was laid to rest at the royal mausoleum at Katangka, Sungguminasa, Gowa, Makassar.
Ref. and suggested reading:
The Narrative of War in Makassar: Its Ambiguities and Contradictions, by Ivie Carbon Esteban. Sari - International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation 28(1) (2010): 129-149.