Museum Negeri Banda Aceh

Banda Aceh


This state museum displays Acehnese weaponry, household furnishings, ceremonial costumes, everyday clothing, gold jewellery, calligraphy and some magnificently carved recong (Acehnese daggers) and swords. It also covers the history of Islam in Aceh, Dutch history and local freedom fighters, and there's even a section on coffee.

In the same complex is the Rumah Aceh, a fine example of traditional Acehnese architecture, built without nails and held together with cord and pegs.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Banda Aceh attractions

1. Rumah Aceh

0.03 MILES

In the same compound as the Museum Negeri Banda Aceh, the Rumah Aceh is a fine example of traditional Acehnese architecture, built without nails and held…

3. Water Tower

0.28 MILES

A legacy of Dutch rule is this rather squat 1880s water tower, which now stands as a city landmark.

5. Gunongan

0.37 MILES

All that remains of Aceh’s powerful sultanates today is on view at Gunongan. Built by Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607–36) as a gift for his Malay princess wife…

6. Mesjid Raya Baiturrahman

0.41 MILES

With its brilliant-white walls, ebony-black domes and towering minaret, this 19th-century mosque is a dazzling sight. The best time to visit is during…

7. Tsunami Museum

0.43 MILES

A visit to this beautifully designed, hard-hitting museum commences with a walk through a dark, dripping tunnel that symbolises the 2004 tsunami waves…

8. Kherkhof

0.47 MILES

The Kherkhof is the last resting place of more than 2000 Dutch and Indonesian soldiers who died fighting the Acehnese. The entrance is around 50m west of…