Aceh floods damage dozens of cultural heritage sites, the Ministry of Education carries out emergency response

BANDA ACEH - The Ministry of Culture is moving quickly to deal with damage to cultural heritage in Aceh after the flood and landslide disaster. Through the Aceh Regional Cultural Preservation Agency (BPK), the government conducted a rapid assessment to map the impact and level of damage to the site, from mild to severe.

Initial results show that a number of cultural heritage sites and objects suspected of being cultural heritage are buried in mud and submerged in water. The worst impact is due to mud deposits that are difficult to dry and interfere with the structure of buildings and the environment of the site.

Following up on the findings, BPK Region I Aceh immediately carried out emergency handling in the form of site cleaning. This activity involves keepers and residents around. Head of BPK Region I Aceh, Piet Rusdi, said the initial steps were focused on collecting reports on the condition of keepers and affected sites. "We collect information directly from the keepers to ensure the field conditions before handling," he said, Friday, December 12.

Heavy damage was reported at a number of mosques that were submerged in mud up to about 30 centimeters. In some tomb complexes, the tombstones were covered with mud and were difficult to clean because the inner layer was still thick. Meanwhile, at the lightly affected site, water and mud puddles only occurred in some areas without significant structural damage.

Based on field reports, handling was carried out at 25 sites, including 5 cultural heritage tomb complexes in Pidie, 2 cultural heritage buildings in Pidie Jaya, 2 cultural heritage tombs and mosques in Bireuen, 15 cultural heritage sites in North Aceh, and 1 cultural heritage mosque in East Aceh.

The Ministry of Culture emphasized that post-disaster handling would continue through periodic monitoring, coordination with caretakers, and the preparation of medium- and long-term recovery plans. This step is taken to ensure that the historical value and cultural identity of Aceh remain intact in the face of disaster threats.