Visit West Sumatra : Pagaruyung Palace

Istana Basa, Tanah Datar.

Istano Basa, or also known as Istana Pagaruyung, is a replica of Pagaruyung Palace in the district of Tanjung Emas, Batusangkar, Kabupaten Tanah Datar, Sumatera Barat.Istano Basa means the great or grand palace. Istano Basa is a historic spot and well known as tourist destination in West Sumatra for a quite long time.

Pagaruyung is  a kingdom that once reigned in the area today known as the province of West Sumatra. The kingdom collapsed at the time of the Padri War, after the signing of the agreement between Adat people and the Dutch government, which made the kingdom of Pagaruyung under the Dutch control.

In the era of  Minangkabau kingdom, the royal palace of Pagaruyung plays a double role; as a dwelling house of the royal family and the Government of the Kingdom of Minangkabau led by a king known as "RAJO ALAM" or "KING OF THE ROYAL MINANGKABAU". The Leadership of Rajo Alam known as "Tali Tigo Sapilin" and His government was known as the "Tungku Tigo Jarangan".

Modern history recorded that Istana Pagaruyung had moved four times. The first location was at Ateh Bukit, Batu Patah, Jorong Gudam. Then, it moved to Sungai Bunggo, Jorong Gudam, and moved again near by because of fire. Even in 1804, the original palace built by Rajo Alam at Bukit Batu Patah burnt down in a bloody chaos by the colonial administration at the times, the Dutch.  The rebuilding of Istano Basa began by laying down tunggak tuo or the main mast on December 27, 1976 by the Governor of West Sumatra Province, Harun Zain.

Source: taken from a number of sources