Call his name as Yunus, a young man with a Malay face with his confidence patting my shoulder from behind. My focus to snapping the palace image from the best position finally faded.
Yunus: “Can you take photo of me, brother?”
Me: “Oh, okay. Don’t stand there…. stand in the middle! “, I directed his position like a professional photographer.
He just came from Pangkalan Brandan to try his fortune in Medan after passing a vocational school with its majoring in Automotive Engineering. He want to work in automotive workshop. He was so fascinated by my appearance so he guessed me as a reporter with a camera which he thought expensive. Even though……Hahaha
Our small talk was resolved when my steps were leading to a separate building at left of the palace. I looked inside, there was a cannon with a broken end. That is the “Buntung/Puntung” Cannon. Amazing, that cannon piece fell as far as 75 km at south of the palace because of cannon’s heat which was continuously fired.
“Dee Eerste Steen Van Dit Gebouw
Is Celeco Op Den
26 Augustus 1888
Door Z. H. Den Sultan Van Deli
Mahmoed El Rasjid Perkasa Alamsja”
I read with lips curve which is similar to dutch accent at the base of front pillar just before climbing the white gray stairs.
Fixing my backpack in preparation for whole palace exploration then was continued with buying an entrance ticket for USD 3.7 at the top of stairs. Then my steps began to tread palace floor.
Yellow color palace door which are so numerous, adopt an European style which is combined with green dominant shutters and arches at the top with Indian Mughal architecture, were the first scene which I remember.
Then “the yellow and the green” are combined with “the red” as a signify that this palace clearly belongs to whole Malay nation. Yellow represents wisdom, green represents Islam and red represents tradition colors.
So many faces of Deli Sultanate family are introduced to public through classic photographs which are neatly arranged and tightly attached to wooden walls of the palace.
As a result, I was stunned by the beautiful face of Yang Mulia Raja Noorsida who is wife of Seripaduka Sultan Osman Al Sani Perkasa Alam.
In some corners, I diligently watched several weapons which are left by Sultan, such as Bentara Kris (Keris Bentara), Tumbok Dagger (Tumbok Lada), Cenderahati Kris (Keris Cenderahati). Also some musical instruments, jewelry, ceramic plates and Sultan’s clothes.
More noon, more visitors enlivened the whole palace. Many people were willing to queue for wearing Malay traditional clothes and pose in king and queen’s chairs. Students didn’t hesitate to sit on palace floor and listening to teacher’s explanation which loudly tell some stories until his jugular veins appeared.
My visitation to Maimun Palace really left a deep impression because this was the first time I visited a palace on Sumatra island.
See the Maimun Palace situation here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzCzrdsv978
Come on….See next creations of Deli Sultanate !…. Al Mashun Grand mosque. It’s not far …