Kilometre zero
Of Islam's arrival in the archipelago.
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A monument on the shore of Barus, one of the oldest towns in the archipelago, inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 24 March 2017 to mark Barus's place as the kilometre zero of Islam's arrival in Nusantara. For many centuries Barus was a world port for camphor and incense, visited by Arab, Persian, Indian and Chinese traders and named in ancient sources, and Muslim merchants are believed to have brought Islam here early. The monument is a tall white column topped with a globe, with a seafront plaza and inscriptions explaining the town's history, and around it on the hills stand old Islamic cemeteries bearing witness to that history, the best known Papan Tinggi and Mahligai. It is open and free, and the visit is short, but it gains its meaning when combined with the old cemeteries on a half-day tour of the roots of Islam in Indonesia. Barus is about two hours by car north along the coast from Sibolga. Dress modestly, and respect pilgrims who come for religious visits.
Of Islam's arrival in the archipelago.
Visited by Arabs and Persians of old.
On the hills around the town.
Pasar Batu Gerigis, Barus, Central Tapanuli
It was an ancient international camphor port frequented by Muslim traders and holds some of the oldest Islamic graves known in the archipelago, so it was adopted as the symbolic starting point of Islam's spread in Indonesia.