Left standing alone
A symbol of survival in 2004.
Si Gam — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Government of Aceh — Public domain · USGS — Public domain
A white mosque about five hundred metres from Lampuuk beach that became one of the best-known symbols of the 2004 tsunami: when the waves struck Lampuuk and swept away almost every house, the mosque alone stood amid the ruins, and its photograph went round the world. It was built between 1990 and 1997 and suffered only cracks at some corners. The mosque was restored with the support of the Turkish Red Crescent, so people call it the Turkish Mosque, and Turkish officials visited after the disaster, recalling the historic ties between Aceh and the Ottoman Empire. Inside is a corner showing photographs from after the tsunami, and part of the damaged wall has been left exposed in remembrance. Entry is free, the mosque serves daily prayers, and non-Muslims visit outside prayer times in modest dress. It lies on the road to the lovely Lampuuk beach, so make it a half day: prayer at the mosque, then the beach and sunset. It is about thirty minutes by car from the city centre.
A symbol of survival in 2004.
Restored with Turkish Red Crescent support.
White sand and lovely sunsets.
Lampuuk, Lhoknga, about 15 km south-west of Banda Aceh
Yes: its story is moving, and it lies on the way to Lampuuk, one of Aceh's loveliest beaches, so you combine reflection and an outing in half a day.
