Jakarta Java Kini - Jakarta's City Magazine

The capital of South Sumatra has a long and fascinating history behind it, and the present is not too bad either

Perhaps currently best-known for co-hosting the last annual SEA Games alongside Jakarta in 2011, Palembang is the capital city of South Sumatra and a stellar metropolis destination for visitors to South-East Asia. Situated astride the famed Musi River, Palembang’s character is that of a city so comfortable in its own skin that travellers will immediately take to its rich culture and history. This city has long been a popular trading hub in Asia and, to this day, explorers of fortune still dive into the river here in search of shipwrecked gold.

But before you jump right into Palembang and all it has to offer, it would be wise to learn a little about the Sriwijaya Kingdom, an early superpower that dominated Palembang and its surrounding regions for hundreds of years. Evidence suggests that Palembang was the heartland of this ancient Buddhist empire from as early at the seventh century, during which time it established the city as a major maritime exporter for the West. However, by the thirteenth century, the kingdom had been sacked and essentially erased by the might of the Javanese Majapahit Empire.

The Museum and Great Mosque of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II are perhaps the most prominent remaining testaments to the decadence of Palembang past. Located right next to the Ampera Bridge, the unofficial heart and cultural centre of the city, these places tell the story of the municipality. The mosque is the biggest in South Sumatra and thousands flock to it each day. Its ornate decorations make no secret of its identity as a worship hotspot. The museum, on the other hand, features a variety of rare and priceless artefacts left over from the fallen kingdom, as well as several fascinating stone relics that should stir your curiosity about a period now frozen in time.