The La Galigo Museum originally had the name Celebes Museum. First built in 1938 by the Dutch East Indies government. The place is in the Fort Rotterdam Fortress complex area. During the Dutch period, the museum was used as a place to collect various donations from the public and excavation results.
Examples include ceramics, currency, gold plates, and others. Everyone’s travel destination references will of course be different. If you like historical tourism, La Galigo could be the best choice. There are lots of historical relics that can be seen. Of course, this must be known in order to preserve culture and appreciate existing historical heritage.
There are many interesting things that can be found when visiting historical attractions. Tourists can see collections of historical objects from ancient times, manuscripts made in ancient times, and changes in the design of traditional South Sulawesi clothing over time.
The Attraction of the La Galigo Museum
Each tourist spot certainly has a different charm, especially those related to history. Of course there is a story behind all the events in the past. This information is very interesting to know because it can provide knowledge about life and culture in ancient times. What is its uniqueness, here are some of its attractions.
✦ Collection of Unique Objects
There are lots of unique collections that can be seen if you visit the museum, including foreign ceramics, archaeological objects, traditional clothing from time to time, and so on. Each La Galigo Museum collection has a story that can describe the culture, life and history of the South Sulawesi region.
There is a story behind collecting these unique objects as a collection. Tourists can find out the story through the text placed on the object.
✦ Miniature Pinisi Ship
The Pinisi ship is a sailing boat that has a traditional Bugis-Makassar design. This ship depicts the culture of the people of South Sulawesi so it is considered legendary. The Pinisi ship is made of wood and has two main masts with seven sails.
Not without reason, this design symbolizes the story of the ancestors of the Bugis-Makassar tribe who were recognized as being able to sail the seven oceans in the world.
✦ Mr. Haji’s gravestone
This historical object is proof that the Islamic religion has long been adhered to by the people of South Sulawesi. Pak Haji’s gravestone is flanked by the gravestones of his wife and daughter, who were known to belong to a Muslim socialite family.
Another fact that proves that the family adhered to Islam is the carved pattern on the headstone which is shaped like the face of a crouching man.
✦ Collection of Manuscripts and Historical Objects
When visiting the La Galigo Makassar Museum, tourists can see various collections of manuscripts and historical objects. Among them is the literary work La Galigo. During the Japanese occupation, the museum’s operations were halted until it was taken over by South Sulawesi cultural figures in 1966.
Not just a name, La Galigo is a literary work written in Bugis language and consists of 9000 pages. This text contains noble values and ideal guidelines for behavior that can be used as a guide to life. This literary work is very special because it became a role model for the people of South Sulawesi at that time.
Address and Route to the Museum Location
The La Galigo Museum is located in the Fort Rotterdam Makassar area, namely on Jalan Ujung Pandang No.2, Bulo Gading. Visiting this museum can provide knowledge about the culture and history of the South Sulawesi region. Historical tourism can provide an exciting holiday experience as well as insight.
Travel from Hasanuddin Airport can be done via the toll road on Jl. Sutami Engineer Toll Road to Ujung Tanah is 14 KM. Take the Harbor exit and merge onto Jl. Reform Toll.
Turn left to stay on Jl. New Archipelago. At the roundabout, take the first exit towards Jl. Riburane. Turn back towards Jl. Jampea. At the roundabout take the exit onto Jl. Edge of View. Get to the museum.
Historical Tour Entrance Ticket Prices
La Galigo Museum is open every Tuesday to Sunday, from 08:00 – 17:30 WITA. The fee required to visit the museum is IDR 5,000 for adults and IDR 3,000 for children. By spending a small fee, tourists can immediately see valuable historical collections.
Interesting Activities to Do
The La Galigo Museum, Fort Rotterdam, can be an interesting historical tourist destination when visiting Makassar. Even though the design is still ancient, its charm is very interesting to study. Like museums in general, the atmosphere around the museum is very calm. However, it can provide insight to tourists.
There are many locations that can be explored in the museum area because the collection is very large, numbering in the thousands. Apart from that, there are several other interesting activities to do while visiting. Here are some of them.
1. Study the culture of South Sulawesi
Each region was formed from the struggle of local residents who attempted to gain territory. The customs and culture of each region are also different so it is always interesting to learn. Visiting the La Galigo Museum can provide insight into the culture of South Sulawesi.
That way, tourists can get to know more deeply about the culture and life of local people in ancient times. Of course, cultural heritage must continue to be preserved so that it does not disappear over time.
2. See the historical collections at the La Galigo Museum
The La Galigo Museum has long been used as a storage facility for unique objects, so it has many diverse historical collections. The phenomenon of seeing historical objects and other unique collections will certainly provide a broad experience because they cannot be found in all places.
Tourists can see firsthand what the historical collections look like, which are still being preserved to this day. Apart from that, you can also read the information listed to find out the story behind the object. By knowing historical stories, they can be told to the next generation so that culture can continue to be preserved.
3. Take photos
There are not many photo spots available, but every corner of the museum building presents a historical feel. An ancient impression will appear in the area, making it interesting to use as a photo spot. Tourists can also take photos of the collection of historical objects there.
This is certainly very interesting and can provide a different holiday experience. Tourists can get a collection of old school photos from the ancient era which are certainly interesting to share on social media.
Available Tourist Facilities
The La Galigo Museum has 2 floors and has around 5000 collections of relics from the kingdom that once ruled the Sulawesi region. The building design is quite ancient and dominated by black and white. There are not many facilities provided in the museum area.
However, there are toilets and seating that can be used to meet tourists’ needs. The museum is very close to Fort Rotterdam which has a sturdy building to this day. After visiting the museum, tourists can stop by to visit other historical attractions.
The La Galigo Museum holds many historical stories that may not be widely known. Not just on holiday, tourists can also gain knowledge so they can study the culture of the local area in more detail. This interesting story can only be found when traveling to historical places.
