Medan Journal (Day 1) : Maimoon Palace

Maimoon Palace (Istana Maimoon)

The Majestic Maimoon Palace

A well-known landmark in Medan, this palace was built by Sultan Makmun Al-Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah in years 1887-1891 as a centre of governance in Medan.

It is a royal palace of the Sultanate of Deli that still exists till this day, albeit without any political authority (since it became a part of the Republic of Indonesia). This place is still used by the Sultan of Deli and the royal household.  I guess the title was retained as a symbol of remembrance of the past glory of the Sultanate of Deli and as a mean to preserve the royal lineage.  The current and 14th Sultan of Deli was crowned in July 2005 and he assumed the title Sultan Mahmud Lamanjiji Perkasa Alam.

 Opah, my sister and Ummi Hidayah outside the gate.

Taking a photo in front of the entrance

Your ''Royal" Household!

My father with his Cinta

The stunning interior design of Maimoon Palace

  What are you pointing at, little bro?

Exploring the Royal Courtyard

Maimoon Palace: Checked!

The Sultanate of Deli has a very interesting history that you can read here. Nonetheless, for this entry, it is sufficient to say that this palace is a must-visit destination in Medan with its majestic Malay architecture. This place is very accessible and it is within a walking distance from Ibunda Hotel (around 10-15 minutes).

Oh, before I forget. Just in front of the palace, there is a cannon stub with a unique story. I present to you the Legend of a Split Up Cannon.

The Legend of a Split Up Cannon

The cannon stub is inside the little house in the middle of the picture

According to the Deli Malay legend the cannon was a personification of the Putri Hijau's younger brother fron Deli Tua Kingdom named Mambang Khayali which transformed himself into a cannon when he was doin his utmost to defend the palace against the attack of the Acehnese King because the King's proporsal was rejected b y Putri Hijau.
The canon kept on firing continuously which caused the barrel was very hot and the cannon gfinally broken into two parts.

The top of the cannon flew over the air and landed in Kampung Sukanalu Kecamatan Barus Jahe Tanah Karo while the other part is now kept in the small wooden house on the right side of the Maimoen Palace area.

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Lagenda Meriam Puntung

Menurut hikayat puak Melayu Deli Meriam Puntung adalah penjelmaan dari adik Putri Hijau dari Kerajaan Deli Tua bernama Mambang Khyali yang berubah menjadi meriam dalam mempertahankan Istana dari serbuan Raja Aceh yang ditolak pinangannya oleh Putri Hijau.

Akibat larasnya yang cukup panas karena menembak terus menerus, maka akhirnya pecah menjadi dua bagian.

Ujung meriam yang merupakan bagian yang satu melayang dan menurut dongeng jatuh di Kampung Sukanalu Kecamatan Barus Jahe Tanah Karo, sedangkan yang lain disimpan pada bangunan kecil disisi kanan Istana Maimoen.