BANDA ACEH

kotamadya (municipality), capital of Aceh daerah istimewa (special district), located at the northwestern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia. Banda Aceh is known as the doorway to Mecca, for historically it has been a stopping place for Muslim pilgrims journeying by ship to Mecca. Visited by Marco Polo in 1292 and by Ibn Battutah in 1345 and 1346, it became the capital of the sultanate of Aceh in the 17th century. Its ruler, Iskandar Muda, engaged in naval battles with the Portuguese in the Strait of Malacca. The Dutch occupied the city in 1873, and the subsequent Aceh War between the Dutch and the Achinese continued until 1903. The population of Banda Aceh is mostly Achinese, together with Indians, Arabs, Turks, Chinese, and others. Local industries produce gold jewelry, cotton and silk fabrics, lamps, engraved copper bowls, and sword blades. The city is linked by road and rail with the eastern coastal cities of Lhokseumane, Langsa, and Medan; it also has an airport. Notable sites include a sports stadium; the Baturrachman Mosque; the Aceh Museum; the Gunongan, or Walking Palace, a series of baths and pleasure gardens on the banks of a river; and a fine beach. The Syiah Kuala University was founded in 1960. Pop. (1980) 72,090.