Maimoon Palace Environment and
Archeological View Points and Architectural Aspects
Maimoon Palace and Its Environment
This building is 217 x 200 meters in area and is surrounded by a one meter high metal fence. It faces East with the Deli River on the West, and settlements and shops on the South. It is bordered by Tanjung Meriam street on the North and Brigjed Katamso Street in front.
The time and situation changed and in 1632 Aceh built the Deli Kingdom led by Commander Gocah Pahlawan who was the first Deli King. He got a new name called tuanku Panglima Gocah Pahlawan". He died in 1669.
Brigjend Katamso is the main road going into Medan. It was not unusual that the palace during the Islamic kingdom should have a mosque. The mosque called Al Mashun is about 100 meters from Maimoon Palace. It used to be the kingdom mosque. Now, it is known as the Grand Mosque of Medan which is one of the most beautiful mosques from a previous Islamic Kingdom in Indonesia. The mosque was built using. Middle Eastern,Indian, and even European architectural styles. There are also some other buildings in the Palace which historically still relate to the palace, since they were built by the same people during the same period, like Deli Sri Park.
The palace covers 2,772 m2. It can be divided into three parts: the, main building, the left building, and the right building. The main building has wonderful figures in front and in the back. It is 75.3 meters long, and 14.4 meters high. This wooden masts shaped like a ship's keel and horseshoes. It has domes, and pyramid-shaped roofs made of roof shingles and copper. The pyramid-shaped roof is on the main, left and right buildings, and the three domes are in the front part. Architecturally, nearly all of them have overlapping layers.
Through the marble ladder corridor, you can go up to the second floor of the main building. The two porches on both the left and the right hand sides are called pavilions. Through the European sliding gate, you can get to the room where the Sultan usually received his official guests. On the left and the right hand sides of the living room, there were places for the servants who were responsible for serving the Sultan.
Going through the gate which is shaped like a ship's keel, and is full of geometric and floral designs, we can enter the main room of the main building which covers 412 m2. It was previously used as the Royal Audience Hall. This room was used as a place for anointing kings and for other traditional ceremonies. It was in this room that the Sultan usually received his official quests (other Sultans).
The Sultan's throne which had various colors was on the left hand side of this room. The throne had a quadrangle dome, and pointed curves on its three sides. The Royal Audience Hall was illuminated with European crystal lights, and had oil paintings on the wall with floral and geometric motifs. Some are naturalistic and the others are arranged in such away that they look extremely beautiful.
The decorative motif on the ceiling is similar to that found on the thrones which are placed in both the four and eight-sided rooms. In this room you can also see the previous Deli Sultans' paintings and pictuces. An interesting one is the one on the top angle of the golden framed mirror. It has a floral decoration which was made in such away that it looks like a mythological creature. Above the mirror painting or at the windows of the keel of a ship, there is round vent made of metal bars to which a brass flower is attached.
The combination of the portholes is found the Grand Mosque in front of Maimoon Palace as well. The tall and wide Royal Audience Hall windows remind us of European or Dutch buildings. Above the doorstep, there is a barred metal vent. Some are in the shape of a quadrangle and the others are shaped like the keel of a ship.
Most doors have two layers. The outer doors are made of wood, some inner doors are of wood, and others are made of glass. On the door, there is a naturalistic painting depicting flowers growing in the vase. In this room, there are also some European chairs.
Through the arch of the keel shaped roofed corridor, you can get to the back part of the room. It is 94 square meters wide and was usually used for the Sultan's family's wedding ceremonies and Dining Hall. The dinner used to be prepared by servants who were always ready in the small side rooms. They were on the left and right hand sides of the main building. In this room, there are two chairs (the Sultan's thrones) and two European dressing tables.
The palace has 12 rooms on the second floor, two big rooms for ceremonies and 10 small rooms for equipment. On the first floor, there are 10 rooms, including bathrooms, a kitchen, the Sultan's office, prisons, and the warehouse. On the right hand side, in front of the palace, there is a Batak Karo house in which the "Cannon Stub" is stored. The cannon is regarded as a sacred item by some people and always connected to the legend of "Putri Hijau". About 10 meters in front of he palace, there is a stage like an altar. it used lobe a foundation of a two horse statue functioning as a water spout.
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