1. The Brief History

If we come to Sulawesi Tenggara, we will find many interesting historical sites can be visited. One of which is the fort of the Buton Sultanate which is well-known as Keraton Wolio fort. The fort is located in Buton island, Melai village, Betoambari sub-district, Bau-Bau district, Sulawesi Tenggara Province, Indonesia. In fact, long time ago, in the Buton Sultanate territories, there were 72 forts stretching in the kadies (now are recognized as sub-districts) of Buton.

The Keraton Wolio fort is the biggest fort in Sulawesi Tenggara. If we look at this fort from high place and its southern construction, we will find that the design of the fort is formed as dal letter (the eight letter of Arabic alphabet). Besides this fort, there are two other forts in Betoambari sub-district; Baadia fort which is shaped as alif letter (the first letter of Arabic alphabet); and Sorowolio fort that seems like mim letter (the twenty fourth letter of Arabic alphabet). According to Buton society, the three structures of these forts represent the name of prophet Adam (peace be upon him) which is derived from alif, dal, and mim alphabets.

This fort was constructed by the third Sultan of Buton, La Sangaji or Sultan Kaimuddin (1566-1570 C.E.), in his ruling period. But at the time, the construction had not been completed yet, because its structure was only stone-piles that covered the center of sultanate.   

Under the control of the fourth Sultan of Buton, La Elangi or Sultan Dayanu Ikhsanuddin (1578-1615 C.E.), these stones were constructed orderly. At the first, the fourth Sultan of Buton felt inconvenience with the increasing of pirates who attacked his commoners. Therefore, he commanded his soldiers to build 16 baluaras (emplasemen meriam) around the Wolio hill. The philosophy of 16 baluars was based on human‘s birth. The number of 16 is numeral life (nutfah), because Allah breathes a soul to embryo in mother‘s uterus when attains the age of 160 days. By this philosophical reason, the 16 baluaras are intended to give guarantee for the better life of Buton Sultanate society.

Under the rule of the sixth Sultan of Buton, La Buke or Sultan Gafarul Wadudu (1632-1645 C.E.), massive changes were taken place. In 1634 C.E., he commanded thousands of his soldiers and his commoners to build big fort on the peak of Wolio hill by joining 16 baluaras to be one connected structure. The architect of the building was prime minister Maa Waponda. He designed the castle‘s sketch with dal (the eight letter of Arabic alphabet). Why he had such a good idea? When he assembled those baluaras, he found that one of these corners were not able to be joined, because it was on the escarpment of the hill.

The building process of the fort was similar that of Borobudur temple in Java. The basic materials were mountain-stones. To make stronger, these stone-piles were glued by albumen. According to La Ode Abu Bakar, prominent figure of Buton, to assemble these stones were not only by the albumen, but also by lime, jelly, and albumen mortar. All people of Buton Sultanate, men or women, had been forced to participate in building this fort. The men were responsible in helping, joining, and ordering the mountain-stones, while the women were in collecting sands. 

2. The Location

The area of Keraton Wolio fort is located in Melai village, Betoambari sub-district, Baubau district, Sulawesi Tenggara province, Indonesia. The sub-district of Betoambari is sited in Buton island, the south east of Sulawesi. This island is surrounded by Bone gulf, Muna strait, and Banda sea. To get there, from the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi, we need 12 hours of trip. To arrive at Bau-bau district, we have to route Murhum port. Because, this harbor was the main gate to enter the city. The distance between the city of Bau-bau and the fort is 3 kilometers.

3. The Description of the Fort

La Ode Hafilu, one of Buton Sultanate descendants, said that the shape, the architecture, and the meaning of Keraton Wolio fort are related to the values of Sufism that is implemented by the sultan of Buton. Besides the shape is like dal letter (arabic alphabet), the hidden Sufistic values can be seen in other forms of the fort building area, and this topic will be discussed clearly in the following writing.

The area of Keraton Wolio fort is about 400.000 meter square in width. The size of the fort itself has 2.740 m², with 2-8 meters in height, 1-2 meters in width, and 1,5-2 meters in the thickness of the wall. At the end of 2006, Museum Rekor Indonesa (MURI) recorded that Wolio fort is the widest castles in the country, with 22 hectares in width. This fort has 12 entrances (lawa). The construction of these entrances was completed in the fourth king period of the Buton Sultanate, after the 16 baluaras had been arranged orderly as one construction.

In general, these entrances are functioned as connecting ways between keraton (castle) and villages surrounding the sultanate. According to La Ode Mursali, local cultural observer, the 12 entrances indicate the amount of human body‘s holes: composing of mouth, ear, eye, nose, anus, urethra, and pore holes. For example, the main gate, Lawana Lanto, is thought as human‘s mouth; the secret gate, Lawana Kampebuni, is noted as urethra hole. This gate is usually used by the sultanate noblemen for passing out or hiding place.

Every gate is written the name of gate‘s controllers such as Lawana Rakia, Lawana Lanto, Lawana Labunta, Lawana Kampebuni, Lawana Wabarobo, Lawana Dete, Lawana Kalau, Lawana Bajo/Bariya, Lawana Burukene/Tanailandu, Lawana Melai/Baau, Lawana Lantongau, dan Lawana Gundu-gundu. In this fort, there are 52 guns placed in every gate, either right gate or left gate.   The controllers of this fort are 17 persons. The number of 17 refers to amount of raka‘at prayer implemented by Muslim in their everyday life. There are godana-oba (arsenal) on the southern right corner and weapon stores on the left side.

In the complex of the fort, there is Sultan Murhum‘s grave. He was the first sultan of the Buton Sultanate who ruled the sultanate for 40 years (1491-1537 C.E.). When he passed away, its corpse had been buried at the peak of Wolio hill with 800 meters in height above the sea level. According to local myth, who prays in this grave, his demand usually will be approved. Before the general election 1999, the former president of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, had ever visited this grave.

There are small cave (ceruk) and Arupalaka‘s cave of this castle standing nearby escarpment‘s wall, in the east of the fort. This cave was used by Arupalaka as hiding place when the Gowa‘s soldiers, under Sultan Hasanuddin rule, were controlled by the Buton Sultanate. To enter the cave, Arupalaka, at the time, had to pass through the secret gate (Lawana Kampebuni) before arriving at the cavern. Since that time, the Gowa‘s soldiers got many difficulties to find the cavern, because its site was hanging on the escarpment‘s wall. If we stand on the edge of the escarpment so that the cave‘s position is under the feet‘s palm. Sapati Baluwu had ever delivered his messages to Arupalaka from above of the fort‘s edge when he went under the cave‘s ground. Sapati was the official position of the Buton Sultanate for domestic affairs.    

4. The Social Functions

In the period of Buton Sultanate, the fort was functioned as the border of the palace area and the defense from the rebellion‘s attacks. The fort was also purposed for economic activities, governmental administration, social works, and Islamic preaching.   The Islamic preaching had begun since the Kingdom of Buton turned into the Buton Sultanate, in the period of the sixth king of Buton, Lakilaponto, who changed his name as Sultan Murhum Kaimuddin Khalifatul.

The part of the fort is now functioned as the settlement for the surrounding community. However, the local tourism department of Bau-Bau has warned the people settled the place to not build modern ‘s house. The reason is to keep the original characters of the fort‘s structure as the important historical heritage in Buton. Most of 295 houses on the fort area are wooden-stage-houses with local .  The construction of these houses are not using nails for joining the wooden materials.

Up to this time, the fort stores, inherits, and preserves Buton‘s cultures. It can be seen from every marital ceremonies. According to Buton community‘s tradition, before performing the marital ceremony is previously done the procession of bride groom when coming up to bride‘s house. In the bride‘s room, there are parents of bride and bride groom, penghulu (official religious affairs), and prominent figure of adat. This ritual is their ancestor‘s heritage which is kept orderly in the fort of Keraton Wolio.

In recent times, the fort of Keraton Wolio is accounted as the important historical heritage in Sulawesi Tenggara. This fort has social functions implemented to this time. For instance, this fort is usually used for religious ceremonies such as tahlilan and qunut rituals. The implementation of malam qunutan and tahlilalan ceremonies are accounted as Wolio inherited traditions since 300 years ago. These rituals are performed not only to avoid bad lucks, but also to rejoin communal relationship among commoners, religious leaders, and sultanate noblemen.

The fort is also functioned as one of interesting tourism objects in Sulawesi Tenggara. For instance, we can see the city of Bau-bau and the steering of the ship in Buton strait from the edge of the fort. Up to this time, this fort becomes interesting tourism object attracts many visitors either from domestic tourists or foreign tourists.

(TN/trj/27/11-07)

References :

• Kompas, 29 Mei 2004.
• Koran Tempo, 15 Agustus 2004.
• Koran Tempo, 2 November 2004.
• www.bau-bau.go.id.
• www.liputan6.com.
• www.sinarharapan.co.id.

Photo credit: orangbuton.wordpress.com

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