Minang Houses of Sumatra
All pics by author
Hello my Steeming Pals!
Italiano
Non credo sia possibile visitare l’isola di Sumatra senza rimanere incantati alla vista delle “Rumah Bagoinjong”: le case dai tetti a guglia tipiche della cultura Minankabau (Minang) ed ora considerate simboli della nazione indonesiana.
Questi edifici iconici e tipici sono, a parer mio, delle vere opere d’arte, erette e lavorate con mani abili di artisti ed artigiani esperti. Essi sembrano galleggiare nell’aria od atterrate dal cielo verso il quale danno l'impressione di puntare continuamente, pronte a ripartire. Come molti forestieri fui rapito dal loro aspetto inconsueto e molto elegante.
English
I doubt anyone could travel through Sumatra and not marvel at the beauty of the “Rumah Bagonjong”, the spired roof houses typical of Minangkabau (Minang) culture, that have become a symbol of Indonesian heritage all over the world.
These iconic buildings, typical of western Sumatra, are in my opinion works of art that ooze a sense of tradition forged by the capable hands of local artists and craftsmen. The constructions themselves look as though they’re almost floating in air, or have landed from the sky to which they appear to be constantly pointing to. They can easily keep an outsider's gaze transfixed in awe and I for sure was one of them.
Beautiful Minang style “Rumah Bagonjong”
Un paesello in particolare di nome Solok, poco a monte del porto di Padang mi parve particolarmente ricco di queste iconiche dimore di legno dal tetto aguzzo. L'età della maggior parte di queste penso fosse superiore ai cinquant’anni. Alcune erano bisognose di cure e manutenzione mentre altre erano decoratissime ben mantenute con intarsi floreali e finestre colorate. Dalle stesse finestre qualche bimbo mi fissò con curiosità mentre passai lentamente con macchina fotografica in mano.
Secondo la tradizione Minang le “Rumah Bagonjong” sono intese come complessi abitativi per famiglie estese allo stesso modo in cui lo sono le “Long House” di altre parti del Sud Est Asiatico (Borneo in particolare). Tuttavia, esistono anche residenze singole più moderne erette con il medesimo stile a guglie appuntite.
A volte passando di fronte a qualche casa in stile Minang mi sembrò di essere capitato nel mezzo ad un racconto fiabesco! Ad un certo punto non riuscii proprio a contenere la curiosità. Cosi chiesi ad una signora che spazzava di fronte alla propria casa in stile, il permesso di entrare per una sbirciata. Con mia somma sorpresa mi fu concessa la visita!
I remember the village of Solok , not far from the port town of Padang, was particularly rich in beautiful traditional wooden dwellings, the age of some of which may well have been over fifty years. A few buildings were very plain without decoration and in need of some attention whilst others were cherished by the owners and elaborately adorned with floral carvings and colourful shuttered windows from which children peered inquisitively as I wandered past.
Traditionally the Rumah Bagonjong (Minang Houses) were meant as communal housing complexes that contained spaces for extended parts of a large family similarly to the “Long House” concept fond in other parts of South East Asia (Borneo in particular). However, in more recent times the upswept gable designs were made a feature of individual homes too.
Looking at these houses as I rode past them on my bike I couldn’t help feeling at times that I was in some sort of a fantasy land. At one point my curiosity was so strong that I felt compelled to ask a local lady if she might let me inside her beautiful home for a look. To my astonishment I was allowed to enter!
Inside a Minang house!
Another older well kept Minang house
Nel mio percorso lungo l'isola scoprii che lo stile Rumah Bagonjong non era limitato alle dimore per famiglie. La consistente comunità Christiana aveva in parte adottato lo stesso stile per la costruzione delle proprie chiese.
Scoprii inoltre che la cultura della Sumatra occidentale è prevalentemente di tipo matriarcale. Ognuno viene individuato dalla propria discendenza materna. Ciò comporta pure conseguenze sulle pratiche ereditarie locali e l’usanza impone che le bellissime case Minang appartengono alle donne di casa e sono inoltre passate di madre in figlia di generazione in generazione.
A fine motorbike and cool biker
I costi per ereggere una casa Minag non sono più alla portata di tutti al giorno d’oggi in una Sumatra sempre più cementificata ed in rapido sviluppo. Tuttavia via sono ancora molte case "vecchio stile" da ammirare ed alcune offrono anche un servizio di Bed & Breakfast. Una esperienza da non perdere!
I also discovered that Rumah Bagonjong features are not limited to individual dwellings and long houses. The huge christian community on Sumatra has adopted them to produce some remarkable church designs as well.
Curious kids peering from a Minang house window
Surprisingly local culture in western Sumatra is of the matriarchal kind meaning that everyone is identified by their mother’s blood line. This has implications on inheritance practices as well and it is local tradition that the beautiful Minang houses are passed over from mother to daughter from one generation to the next.
Some fine traditional architecture on streets of Solok
Che posti...!!
Posti unici davvero.
Beautiful publication!!
Thank you very much. Glad you liked it. 😀
That's some beautiful architecture!
Yes it is. Wish I I had a house in the same style 😃
Hi @john-gpr. I love your post. So much detail about these houses. And that's cool someone actually let you inside! As one of the editors for @steemitworldmap’s daily #traveldigest, I would love to see this post pop up on http://steemitworldmap.com. If you're interested, simply go to the website, click on code (down the bottom) and add a short description. It will then generate the code you need to copy and paste into your post (not the comments) to have it show up on steemit worldmap. There’s also a FAQ section if you get a bit lost.
You can find out about the project here:
https://steemit.com/travel/@steemitworldmap/steemit-worldmap
Thanks, I'll give it a go. 😃
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Wow che bello!!!
Grazie!
It is not hard to fall in love with Minang houses, even for strangers. They are just beautiful.
I totally agree, but all of Sumatra is to fall in love with 😃
Ah you can say that again :)
Che dire...stupende!
Grazie, si le case sono straordinarie 😀
Quello del tetto è un effetto che le fa sembrare finte ahah
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pliz vote my post and flowe me ... i Always vote your post and flowe......tnx
https://steemit.com/@mdtusher123