Takengon Explained

Official Name:Takengon
Translit Lang1:Other
Translit Lang1 Type1:Jawi
Translit Lang1 Info1:تقاڠاون
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Indonesia
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Indonesia
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Aceh
Subdivision Type2:Regency
Subdivision Name2:Central Aceh Regency
Elevation M:1258
Timezone:UTC+7 (Western Indonesia Standard Time)
Coordinates:4.6264°N 96.8475°W

Takengon is a town in Aceh, Indonesia. The town itself sits on three administrative districts of the Central Aceh Regency - Bebesen, Kebayakan, and Lut Tawar, and acts as the seat of Central Aceh Regency. The town is in the highlands of western Sumatra, situated on the shores of Lake Laut Tawar. The region around Takengon is well known for its coffee. Takengon is a plateau with cool air at an altitude of about 1200 m above sea level.

Around Takengon there are many tourist attractions, including Lake Laut Tawar in Laut Tawar sub-district, Bebesen sub-district and Kebayakan sub-district, Puteri Pukes Cave in Kebayakan sub-district and Pantan Terong in Bebesen sub-district.

Takengon residents consist of various tribes and ethnicities. The majority of Takengon's population is Gayo (Gayo: urang Gayô), as well as Acehnese, Javanese, Batak, Minangkabau, Karo, Mandailing, and Chinese Indonesians. The Gayo are the indigenous inhabitants of Takengon.

History

During the 11th century, a Gayo kingdom known as Linge existed in the vicinity of Takengon in Central Aceh. Following the Aceh War and the intrusion of Dutch colonialism, the region was established as an Onderafdeeling in 1904, with Takengon as its seat. Due to Takengon's location in the highlands, Dutch authorities assumed that it would be able to sustain commercial plantations, and despite the poor road connections and infrastructure in the region agricultural commodities became making inroads in Takengon. 1914 saw the opening of a road connecting Takengon to Bireuën, allowing the entry of commercial firms who opened pine and coffee plantations.[1] [2]

On September 1953, Takengon fell under Darul Islam hands. The town was occupied by Darul Islam Forces for two months. TNI captured the town at the end of November 1953.[3]

Following Indonesian independence, Takengon was organised as the administrative seat of Central Aceh Regency, which initially also included modern Gayo Lues and Bener Meriah until they were split out in 1974 and 2003 respectively.[2]

Transports

Takengon is served by the Rembele Airport, which on March 3, 2016, has been improved to accommodate bigger airplanes with 30 by 2,250 metres square runway, 95 by 150 metres square apron and 1,000 metres square terminal to serve up to 200,000 passengers per year. Currently Rembele Airport has about 4,000 passengers a year.[4]

Climate

Takengon has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with moderate to heavy rainfall year-round.

Notes and References

  1. Iswanto . Sufandi . Zulfan . Zulfan . Suryana . Nina . Gayo Highland Takengon from 1904 To 1942: A Historical Analysis of Coffee Plantations at the Era of Dutch Colonialism . Paramita: Historical Studies Journal . 12 April 2020 . 30 . 1 . 69–82 . 10.15294/paramita.v30i1.21637. en . 2407-5825. free .
  2. Web site: Sejarah Berliku Kota Dingin di Aceh . Jaringan Komunitas Masyarakat Adat Aceh . 1 January 2021 . id . 20 December 2010 . 26 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221226210357/https://www.jkma-aceh.org/sejarah-berliku-kota-dingin-di-aceh/ . dead .
  3. Book: van Dijk . Cornelis . Rebellion under the Banner of Islam: The Darul Islam in Indonesia . 1981 . Martinus Nijhoff . The Hague . 308.
  4. Web site: Jokowi Hari Ini Resmikan Bandara Rembele di Takengon . M Iqbal . March 2016 . 2 March 2016 . 5 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305170116/http://news.detik.com/berita/3155314/jokowi-hari-ini-resmikan-bandara-rembele-di-takengon . live .