History of Lhokseumawe City of Aceh Province

Mosque Islamic Center of Lhokseumawe City of Aceh Province

The city of Lhokseumawe is a city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. The city is right in the middle of the eastern path of Sumatra. It lies between Banda Aceh and Medan, making it a vital tract of distribution and commerce in Aceh.

Etymologically Lhokseumawe is derived from the words Lhok and Seumawe. In Aceh Language, Lhok can mean deep, bay, ocean ravine, and Seumawe intent on spinning water or the center of the springs at sea along the offshore of Banda Sakti and surrounding areas. The existence of this area can not be separated from the emergence of the Kingdom of Samudera Pasai around the 13th century, then this region became part of the sovereignty of the Sultanate of Aceh since 1524.

Colonial Period

Before the 20th century, the country was ruled by Uleebalang Kutablang. In 1903 after the resistance of the Aceh fighters against the Dutch colonialists weakened, Aceh began to be mastered.

Lhokseumawe became a conquered area and from that time the status of Lhokseumawe to Bestuur Van Lhokseumawe with Zelf Bestuurder was Teuku Abdul Lhokseumawe subject under Aspireleur Aspiration and in Lhokseumawe domiciled also Wedana and Assistant Resident or Bupati.

The view of the road in Lhokseumawe during the Dutch East Indies

In the second decade of the twentieth century, among the whole of Aceh, the city of Lhokseumawe as one of the small islands with an area of ​​about 11 km² separated by the Krueng Cunda River was filled with buildings of the General Government, Military, and Railways Transportation by the Dutch Government.

Small island with villages (Gampong) Kampong Keude Aceh, Kampung Jawa, Kampung Kutablang, Kampung Mon Geudong, Teumpok Teungoh Village, Kampong Hagu, Kampung Uteuen Bayi and Kampung Ujong Blang with a total population of 5,500 people in Lhokseumawe.

Building by building fills the land until it embodies a city embryo with harbors, markets, railway stations and government offices.

Independence Period

Since the Proclamation of Independence, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia has not been established systemically until this subdistrict. In the beginning Lhokseumawe combined with Bestuurder Van Cunda. This landing population is increasingly crowded coming from surrounding areas such as Buloh Blang Ara, Matangkuli, Blang Jruen, Lhoksukon, Nisam, Cunda and Pidie.

In 1956 with Emergency Law No. 7 of 1956, autonomous regions of the districts within the province of North Sumatra were established, one of which was Aceh Utara with its capital Lhokseumawe.

Then in 1964 with the Decree of the Governor of the Special Region of Aceh Number 34 / G.A / 1964 dated 30 November 1964, determined that the residence of Banda Sakti in Muara Dua Sub-district was made a separate District by the name of Banda Sakti Subdistrict.

Based on Law Number 5 Year 1974 on the Principles of Government in the Region, the opportunity to improve the status of Lhokseumawe become Administrative City, on 14 August 1986 with the Regional Regulation Number 32 Year 1986 Establishment of Lhokseumawe Administrative City signed by President Soeharto, inaugurated by Minister In Soeparjo Roestam State on August 31, 1987. With the existence of de jure and de factoLhokseumawe has become Administrative City with an area of ​​253.87 km ² covering 101 villages and 6 urban villages spread in five districts namely: District Banda Sakti, District Muara Dua, Dewantara sub-district, Muara Batu sub-district, and Blang Mangat sub-district.

Since 1988, the idea of ​​improving the status of Koth Lhokseumawe into Kotamadya began to be pursued and then was born Law No. 2 of 2001 on the Establishment of Lhokseumawe City on 21 June 2001 signed by President Abdurrahman Wahid, whose territory includes three sub-districts, namely: Banda Sakti Sub-District, Muara Dua Sub- , and Blang Mangat sub-district.

In 2006, Mura Dua sub-district experienced expansion into Muara Dua and Muara Satu sub-districts, bringing the total number of sub-districts in Lhokseumawe into four districts.