Traditional house of Indonesia : Aceh province

Aceh
Aceh (pronounced Ah-chay) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its current official name is Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam; past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.
Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered Tsunamis that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including the capital city of Banda Aceh. Over 170,000 persons were listed as dead or missing, with a further 500,000 plus being made homeless.


Aceh region has a strategic position as the gate of trading and cultural traffic, which has been connecting East and West since the past centuries. It is known as a transit place of Chinese, European, Indian and Arab merchants. This relationship made Aceh region as the first entrance of culture and religion into the Southeast-Asian archipelago.

Aceh is known for its political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and, until recently, the central government of Indonesia.

Aceh has substantial natural resources, including coal, oil and gas. Aceh's main income earners are petroleum and natural gas, fertilizer, estate produce and agriculture.

Acehnese villages usually lie in the middle of cultivated areas where the houses are hidden among the trees for shade and coolness. An older traditional house is built without using any nails.

The house held together with cord or pegswhich are made too small for its hole and is kept in place by large wedges.An Acehnese house stand on pillars which is well designed for the climate. It is composed of five divisions (rueung). 16, 20 or 24 sturdy pillars, usually 6-8 feet in height, rise perpendicularly up from the floor, providing space for air circulation and for people to move about comfortably.