East Kalimantan: The Museum of Mulawarman

A. Brief Information

The Museum of Mulawarman is an elegant historical tourism destination in East Kalimantan Province. The building is dominated by white colour. In the past, it was palace then was rebuilt during the tenure of the XIX Sultan of Kutai, Sultan Adji Mohamad Parikesit in 1936 A.D. The architect of this great museum is Estourgie from Hollandsche Beton Maatschappij (HBM).


It was officially established for public on November 28th, 1971 by the Governor of East Kalimantan Province, H.A. Wahab Syahrani. On February 18th, 1976, the museum was taken over by the Education and Cultural Department under the permission of the West Kalimantan Governor at the time.



B. Distinctive Features

The Museum of Mulawarman has so much information relating to the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate. The numerous collection within, especially the inheritance of Kutai Kertanegara Sultanate distinguish this museum from other museums in Indonesia.


Entering the first room, you will see several heritages of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate such as the Sultan‘s throne hemmed by two Lembu Swana statues. For its background, two pictures of the XVIII Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara, AM Alimoedin are hung on the wall of the first room. In addition, the picture of Sultan, AM Parikesit and an umbrella of the sultanate are situated in the same location.


You will also discover some archaeological items such as the heritages of Kutai Martadipura Kingdom, the oldest Hindu Kingdom in Indonesia, in shape of inscriptions and statues from the era of Mulawarman King. Some typical carvings of Kalimantan‘s tribes such as Dayak Kenyah, Benuaq, Busang, Modang, Punan, and other Dayak sub-tribes can be found there.


In another room, at the back of the building, you will see the diorama of the birth of Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti, the First Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate. The diorama of timber industry, coal mining, Mahakam porpoise, and typical plants of Kalimantan can also be found there. After discovering the entire collection within, leaving the building, you must pass by an alley on the ground where much collection of ancient ceramics from Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, and Europe can be discovered there. Outside the building, there is a graveyard of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate.



C. Location

The Museum of Mulawarman is situated on Diponegoro Street, Tenggarong Sub-district, in the District of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan Province.


D. Access

To reach the destination, you can take any accessible public transportation or motorcycles. It can be accessed through Samarinda City, about 45 km away to Tenggarong. Moreover, it will be around 110 km when you start from Balikpapan.



E. Accommodation and other Facilities

For better understanding about the detail parts of the museum, it is better for you to take guides‘ services. It is opened for public everyday, except Monday, at 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and you can buy some guidebooks about the museum. There are many food tents around the location for you who want to take a rest after discovering the entire parts of the museum and observing the whole collection within.



Source:www.wisatamelayu.com