THE original building used to be made of wood. The structure looks like a three-level pyramid. The roof part is in the shape of the horns of a buffalo, typical to Minangkabau indigenous architecture. Known familiarly as the Surau Gadang, the structure is silent witness to the accomplishments of Sheikh Burhanuddin Ulakan who propagated Islam in the Minang region, West Sumatra.

The conserved building, now a heritage site, is located at the end of