Rumah bolon
The long royal house.
Ariokh Thio Gunadi Purba — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A traditional royal compound of the Purba kings of the Simalungun, one of the Batak peoples of North Sumatra, on a hill at Pematang Purba between Berastagi and Lake Toba. A line of fourteen kings ruled here until the mid-twentieth century, and the palace survives as a living museum. The highlight is the rumah bolon, the long royal house raised on massive timber posts, with a tall roof of thatch and carved, painted wood and buffalo heads hung on its front, once home to the king and his wives. Around it stand other buildings: the reception hall, the rice store, the court of justice and the guest house. Entry is a token fee, and local guides explain each building's role and the kings' stories. It lies on the road between Berastagi and Parapat, a good stop on the way to Lake Toba, with the nearby Sipiso-piso waterfall.
The long royal house.
On the carved front.
Halls, store and court.
Pematang Purba, Simalungun regency, about an hour from Parapat
Both are Batak peoples, but each has its own language, customs and house style; the Simalungun live east and north of Lake Toba and had their own kingdoms like this one.