Medan, which in Jawi script is spelled ميدن , is the capital city of North Sumatra province, Indonesia. It is the fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, as well as the largest city outside of Java island and the largest city in Sumatra island. The city of Medan serves as the gateway to the western region of Indonesia with the presence of Belawan Port and Kualanamu International Airport, which is the second largest airport in Indonesia. The access from the city center to the port and airport is facilitated by toll roads and railways. Medan is the first city in Indonesia to integrate its airport with its railway system. As it borders the Malacca Strait, Medan is an important hub for trade, industry, and business in Indonesia.
As of 2020, Medan has a population of approximately 2,435,252 people, with a population density of 9,522.22 people per square kilometer. The city's population is diverse, with a mix of different ethnic groups such as Batak, Javanese, Chinese, Indian, and Malay, among others. This diversity is reflected in the city's culture, cuisine, and architecture.
Medan has a rich history, dating back to the time of the ancient Kingdom of Aru. During the Dutch colonial era, Medan developed into a major trading and plantation center due to its strategic location and fertile land. Many of the city's historical landmarks, such as the Maimun Palace, Tjong A Fie Mansion, and the Great Mosque of Medan, were built during this period.
Today, Medan is a bustling city with a vibrant economy and a thriving tourism industry. The city boasts a wide range of attractions, including culinary delights, cultural performances, and natural wonders. Some of the most popular tourist destinations in Medan include Lake Toba, Bukit Lawang, and Samosir Island. The city is also home to many shopping centers and entertainment venues, such as Sun Plaza and Cambridge City Square.
Despite its rapid development, Medan still faces some challenges, such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution. However, the city is taking steps to address these issues, with initiatives such as the development of public transportation and the promotion of green initiatives.
The history of Medan begins with a village founded by Guru Patimpus at the confluence of the Deli and Babura rivers. The city's anniversary is celebrated on July 1, 1590. In 1632, Medan became the center of government for the Deli Sultanate, a Malay kingdom. The arrival of John Anderson from England in 1823 marked the beginning of European exploration in Medan. Civilization in Medan continued to grow until the Dutch colonial government granted it city status on April 1, 1909, and made it the center of the East Sumatra Residency. In the early 20th century, Medan became an important city outside of Java, especially after the colonial government opened large-scale plantation companies.
According to Bappenas, Medan is one of the four main growth centers in Indonesia, along with Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar. Medan is a multicultural city, with a population consisting of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. In addition to the Malays and Karo as the original inhabitants, Medan is dominated by Javanese, Batak, Chinese, Minangkabau, Mandailing, and Indian ethnic groups. The majority of Medan's population works in the trading sector, so many shops and stores can be found in various parts of the city. In addition to provincial government offices, Medan is also home to consulate offices from various countries such as the United States, Japan, Malaysia, and Germany.
The expansion of Medan city has led to changes in the settlement patterns of ethnic groups. The Malay ethnic group, who are the original inhabitants of the city, mostly live in the outskirts of the city such as Belawan, Denai, and Marelan. The Chinese and Minangkabau ethnic groups, who mostly work in the trade sector, 75% of them live around shopping centers. The settlement of Chinese and Minangkabau people is in line with the direction of development and expansion of shopping centers.
The Mandailing people also choose to live in more comfortable suburban areas, therefore there is a tendency among the Mandailing community to sell their houses and land in the city center, such as in Kampung Masjid, Kota Maksum, and Sungai Mati. Meanwhile, the settlements of Karo and Batak people are mostly located in the southern part of the city, such as Simalingkar or Padang Bulan. This is because the distance between Medan city and the southern region is closer to their hometowns than the city center or coastal areas, especially for Karo people who reside around Sibolangit, Berastagi, and Kabanjahe, where they can reach these places by taking the Jamin Ginting Highway southward.
History of Medan City
The word "Medan" is derived from the Tamil word Maidhan or Maidhanam, which means open ground or wide space, and was later adopted into Malay. In the Indonesia-Karo dictionary (2002) written by Darwin Prinst, the word 'medan' means 'to become healthy' or 'better'.
The anniversary of Medan city is celebrated every year since 1970, initially set on April 1, 1909. However, this date received strong opposition from the press and some historians. Thus, the mayor formed a historical committee to conduct research and investigation. The decree of the Mayor of Medan City No. 342 dated May 25, 1971, which was then held by Drs. Sjoerkani, established the Medan City Anniversary Research Committee. Prof. Mahadi, SH, served as the Chairman, and Syahruddin Siwan, MA, as the Secretary, while other members included Ny. Mariam Darus, SH, and T. Luckman, SH. To intensify the committee's activities, the Mayor issued another decree, No. 618, dated October 28, 1971, on the Formation of the Medan City History Development Committee, chaired by Prof. Mahadi, SH, with Syahruddin Siwan, MA as the Secretary, and other members such as H. Mohammad Said, Dada Meuraxa, Letkol. Nas Sebayang, Nasir Tim Sutannaga, M. Solly Lubis, SH, Drs. Payung Bangun, MA, and R. Muslim Akbar. The Medan City Council fully supported this committee's activities and formed a special committee with M.A. Harahap as the chairperson, and members such as Drs. M. Hasan Ginting, Djanius Djamin, Badar Kamil, BA, and Mas Sutarjo.
According to the book "The History of Medan" by Tengku Luckman Sinar (1991), it is said that based on the "Hikayat Aceh", Medan as a port city already existed in 1590, and was destroyed during the attack of Aceh Sultan Alauddin Saidi Mukammil on Raja Haru who ruled there. A similar attack was carried out by Sultan Iskandar Muda in 1613, against the Deli Sultanate. Since the end of the 16th century, the name Haru changed to Ghuri, and finally in the early 17th century became Deli. The continuous battles between Haru and Aceh resulted in a significant decrease in Haru's population. As a conquered region, many of its inhabitants were moved to Aceh to be used as laborers.
In addition to Aceh, the prosperous Haru Kingdom was also recorded to have often been involved in battles with the Kingdom of Malacca in the Malay Peninsula and with kingdoms from Java. Attacks from Java are recorded in the Pararaton book, known as the Pamalayu Expedition. In Negarakertagama, Mpu Prapanca also wrote that in addition to Pane (Panai), Majapahit also conquered Kampe (Kampai) and Harw (Haru). The decrease in the population of the eastern coastal areas of Sumatra due to these wars was followed by the migration of various ethnic groups from the highlands down to the east coast of Sumatra. The Karo people migrated to the Langkat, Serdang, and Deli coastal areas, the Simalungun people to the Batubara and Asahan coastal areas, and the Mandailing people to the Kualuh, Kota Pinang, Panai, and Bilah areas in Labuhanbatu.
The history of Medan dates back to a small village founded by Guru Patimpus Sembiring Pelawi, a Karo community leader, at the confluence of the Deli and Babura Rivers. According to the Hamparan Perak chronicles, written in the Karo language on a series of bamboo slats, Patimpus was the first person to open a "village" named Medan. However, the original document of Hamparan Perak was lost in a fire during a social unrest on March 4, 1946, in the house of the last Datuk Hamparan Perak. Patimpus was the son of Tuan Si Raja Hita, the Karo leader who lived in Kampung Pekan (Pakan). He refused to succeed his father and was more interested in science and mysticism, thus he was known as Guru Patimpus.
Between 1614-1630 CE, he converted to Islam and was converted by Datuk Kota Bangun after losing a mystical duel. Guru Patimpus then married Tarigan's sister, the leader of the region now known as Pulau Brayan, and opened the village of Medan located between the Babura and Deli rivers. He then led the village. Later in 1632, Medan became the capital of the Deli Sultanate, a Malay kingdom. The Europeans began to discover Medan since the arrival of John Anderson from England in 1823. Medan's civilization continued to develop, and in 1909, the Dutch colonial government granted the city status and made it the center of the East Sumatra Residency.
Medan is now a multilingual and multiethnic city with a population of approximately 2.5 million people, consisting of Malay, Karo, Javanese, Batak, Chinese, Minangkabau, Mandailing, and Indian ethnic groups. The majority of the population works in the trade sector, and many commercial areas are scattered throughout the city. Medan is also home to provincial government offices and several consulates, including those of the United States, Japan, Malaysia, and Germany. With Belawan Port and Kualanamu International Airport, which is the second-largest airport in Indonesia, Medan serves as an important trading, industrial, and business center in Indonesia.
The founder of Medan, Guru Patimpus Sembiring Pelawi, is believed to have established a village called Medan Puteri in 1590. However, there is limited information about Guru Patimpus as the founder of Medan. As a result, the anniversary of Medan is based on an estimated date of July 1, 1590, which was proposed to the Mayor of Medan to be the anniversary of the village. The proposal was then brought to the Medan Regional Council (DPRD) for approval. On January 10, 1973, the DPRD determined that the proposal could be improved. According to the DPRD, the Mayor of Medan issued Decree No. 74 on February 14, 1973, to allow the Medan History Research Committee to continue its activities to achieve better results. In March 1975, the Medan Anniversary Committee, led by M.A. Harahap, determined that July 1, 1590, should be officially recognized as Medan's anniversary. As a result, the DPRD officially declared July 1, 1590, as the anniversary of Medan, replacing the previous anniversary date of April 1.
The city of Medan is also known as the center of the Deli Malay Sultanate, which was formerly the Kingdom of Aru. The Deli Sultanate was a Malay sultanate established in 1632 by Tuanku Panglima Gocah Pahlawan in a region called Tanah Deli (now Medan City and Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia).
John Anderson, a British European who visited Deli in 1833, found a village called Medan. The village was inhabited by 200 people and led by a leader named Raja Pulau Berayan, who had settled there for several years to collect taxes from pepper-laden sampans that descended the river. In 1886, Medan officially obtained city status and the following year became the capital of the East Sumatra Residency as well as the capital of the Deli Sultanate. In 1909, Medan became an important city outside of Java, especially after the colonial government opened large-scale plantation companies. The first city council consisted of 12 European members, two Malay natives, and one Chinese.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were two major waves of migration to Medan. The first wave consisted of the arrival of Chinese and Javanese laborers as plantation contract workers. However, after 1880, plantation companies stopped bringing in Chinese laborers as most of them ran away from the plantation and often caused riots. The companies then fully imported Javanese as plantation laborers. Former Chinese plantation workers were then encouraged to develop the trade sector. The second wave was the arrival of Minangkabau, Mandailing, and Acehnese people. They came to Medan not to work as plantation laborers but to trade, become teachers, and ulama (Islamic scholars).
Since 1950, Medan has undergone several area expansions, from 1,853 hectares to 26,510 hectares in 1974. Thus, within 25 years after the country's independence, the city of Medan had expanded its area almost eighteen times. Despite the rapid expansion, Medan has managed to maintain its cultural and ethnic diversity, with a population consisting of Malays, Javanese, Bataks, Chinese, Minangkabau, Mandailing, and Indian, among others. This cultural and ethnic diversity is reflected in the city's architecture, cuisine, and traditions. Medan has also become a center for education, commerce, and business, with several universities, shopping centers, and business districts located within the city.
Medan is rich in historical architecture
Medan is rich in historical architecture with a significant influence from the Dutch colonial era. The city has many old buildings, such as the old City Hall, Medan Post Office, Tirtanadi Water Tower (which is an icon of the city), Titi Gantung—a bridge above the railway tracks, Bank Indonesia, and the London Sumatra Building. Additionally, several historic structures still exist, including the Maimun Palace, Great Mosque of Medan, Al Osmani Grand Mosque, and Tjong A Fie Mansion in the Jalan Jend. Ahmad Yani (Kesawan) area.
The Kesawan area still retains its old buildings, such as the London Sumatra PT building and old shophouses, similar to those found in Penang, Malaysia, and Singapore. These shophouses have now been transformed into a lively food and beverage center in the evening. Currently, the city government plans to develop Medan as a center for shopping and food. The aim is to increase tourist visits and length of stay in the city.
Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, is a city that is rich in history and culture. One of the many things that make the city unique is its collection of old buildings that have been standing for decades and are still in use today. These buildings are not only a testament to the city's past but also serve as important landmarks and tourist attractions.
One of the most notable old buildings in Medan is the Kantor Balai Kota Lama or the Old City Hall, which was built during the Dutch colonial era in 1908. This building has since become a cultural heritage site and is now used as a museum to showcase the city's history.
Another important building that has stood the test of time is the Kantor Pos Medan or the Medan Post Office, which was built in 1911. This building was used as a post office until the 1980s, and is now used as a heritage site that showcases the city's postal history.
The Stasiun Kereta Api Medan or the Medan Train Station is another old building that is still in use today. Built in 1887, this train station is the oldest in North Sumatra and is a hub for local and intercity train travel.
Other notable old buildings in Medan include the Menara Bakaran Batu, a tower that was built in 1908 to mark the city's 25th anniversary, the Istana Maimun, a palace built in the 1890s that was used by the Sultan of Deli, and the Rumah Tjong A Fie, a mansion that was built in the 1890s and is now a museum showcasing the city's Chinese heritage.
In addition to these buildings, there are also several religious buildings that have been standing for centuries in Medan. These include the Kuil Shri Mariamman, a Hindu temple built in 1884, the Masjid Al Osmani and the Masjid Raya Al Mashun Medan, two mosques that were built in the early 20th century, and the Gereja Immanuel, a church that was built in 1929.
Other notable old buildings in Medan include the Hotel Inna Dharma Deli, which was built in the 1930s and is now a hotel, the Bank Indonesia building, which was built in the 1930s and is now used as a museum, and the Restoran Tip Top, a restaurant that was built in the 1920s and is now a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.
These old buildings serve as a reminder of Medan's rich history and cultural heritage. They are not only important landmarks in the city but also play an important role in attracting tourists and preserving the city's past for future generations.
Medan is not only known for its rich history and culture, but also for its thriving shopping scene. The city boasts a variety of shopping centers, plazas, and malls, catering to all types of shoppers.
Shopping centers in Medan
One of the most popular shopping centers in Medan is Sun Plaza, located in the Polonia area. This plaza offers a wide range of stores, from local boutiques to international brands, as well as restaurants and a cinema. Another notable plaza is Plaza Medan Fair, located in the Petisah area, which also features a variety of shops and restaurants.
For those looking for a more upscale shopping experience, there are several malls in Medan. One of the newest and most modern is the Deli Park Mall Podomoro City, located in the West Medan area. This mall features high-end fashion brands, a cinema, and a variety of restaurants. Another popular mall is Lippo Plaza Medan, located in the Petisah area, which also offers a variety of stores and restaurants.
Other notable shopping centers in Medan include Centre Point Medan, Manhattan Times Square, Cambridge City Square, and Palladium Mall. Thamrin Plaza, located in the Medan Area, is known for its selection of electronic and computer goods. Ring Road City Walks, located in the Selayang area, is a popular destination for food and entertainment.
In addition to these shopping centers, there are also several department stores in Medan, such as Irian Department Store Marelan and Suzuya Marelan Plaza. For those looking for a one-stop-shop for all their tech needs, Millennium ICT Center Medan is the perfect destination.
Overall, whether you are looking for high-end fashion or budget-friendly finds, Medan has a shopping center to suit your needs.
Notable Figure from Medan
Medan has produced many notable figures throughout its history. One of the most prominent is Sultan Ma'moen Al Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah, who was the ninth Sultan of Deli (1873-1924). He played an important role in the development of Medan during his reign, including the establishment of several important institutions and the promotion of education.
Another notable figure from Medan is Tjong A Fie, a Chinese captain and philanthropist during the Dutch colonial period. He contributed significantly to the development of Medan, including the establishment of a hospital, schools, and other public facilities. His former residence, Tjong A Fie Mansion, has now been converted into a museum and is one of Medan's most popular tourist attractions.
Chairil Anwar, an Indonesian poet and literary figure, was also born in Medan. He is considered one of the most important literary figures in Indonesia and is known for his innovative approach to poetry. His works have been translated into several languages and continue to be widely read today.
Other notable figures from Medan include Burhanuddin Harahap, the ninth Prime Minister of Indonesia, Joko Anwar, a renowned Indonesian film director, and Lindswell Kwok, a wushu athlete who won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. Medan has also produced many successful businesspeople, including Alexander Tedja, who is known for his investments in the property and hospitality industries.
In the arts, Medan has produced many talented singers and musicians, including Maria Simorangkir and Lyodra Ginting, both of whom won Indonesian Idol, and Jesselyn Lauwreen, the winner of MasterChef Indonesia season 8. The city has also produced successful comedians, such as Nugroho Achmad, better known as Lolox, and Priya Prayogha Pratama Tanjung, also known as Babe Cabiita, both of whom gained popularity through their appearances on Stand Up Comedy Indonesia.
In addition, Medan has produced many talented young people, including Nashwa Zahira, a participant in Indonesian Idol Junior, and Nikita Mawarni Rinaldi, who won The Voice Kids Indonesia.
