Showing posts with label Places to Drop by - Medan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Places to Drop by - Medan. Show all posts

September 11, 2011

"Rahmat" International Museum & Wildlife Gallery

Address: Jl. S.Parman No.309, Medan
http://www.rahmatgallery.com/

I found this place very interesting and I would definitely recommend you to go here when visiting Medan. This museum showcases preserved wildlife animals such as elephants, bears, orangutans, deers etc. The skin, teeth and nails of all the animals showcased are real. It is owned by Rahmat Shah, a successful business man and professional hunter. Some of the animals are hunted by Rahmat himself.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive seeing all the animals in the museum (there are many!). However then one of the staffs explained that only a small portion of the museum's collection is from his hunting trips. And when hunted, it is based on conservation regulations: only hunt animals with large populations, or ones that are old. She continued explaining that most of the animals at the museum died in zoos, or were donated or purchased legally.

The museum consists of 2 floors and is divided into sections depending on the species. Nearing the end of the trail, it did get a bit weird with trophies of his sons & daughter on display which had nothing to do with wildlife conservation
(?!?!). But overall, hats off to his dedication in keeping this museum up and running!

Entrance fee is Rp. 25,000 for adults.






September 4, 2011

Medan

Medan is the capital city of the North Sumatra province. There are a few landmarks that are the must sees of the city.

1. Istana Maimun
(Maimun Palace)
Address: Jl. Brigjen Katamso, Medan

This palace was built by the Deli Sultanate which used to rule over Medan. It's yellow facade makes it easy to spot from afar but unfortunately, the last time I went there in 2008, the palace looked quite neglected upon closer look.

Maimun Palace ca. 1890-1905
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Het_paleis_van_de_Sultan_van_Deli_te_Medan._TMnr_60001583.jpg

Maimun Palace 2008


2. Mesjid Raya (Grand Mosque)
The mosque's name is actually Al-Mashun mosque, but it is better known as Mesjid Raya.
It lies not far away from Maimun Palace. This mosque is still actively used until today however, again I saw signs of "insufficient funds" :(


I skipped these landmarks during my trip to Medan this year. Instead, I went on "safari" :) Will blog about it in the next couple of days....
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...