Stunning Megalithic Structures

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Wainyapu, in the southwestern part of Sumba Island, is an awesome legacy of the megalithic era. It is home to more than 30 stone-age, 18-meter high 'skyscrappers.' Equally mystifying are ancient gravestones, scattered between the homes of Wainyapu residents. Mindful of this unique legacy, they perform rituals honoring the spirits of their forefathers and diverse dieties, all year long. Many of these old traditional homes are in decaying and near-collapse condition. Not long ago, a group of Indonesian architects took the initiative to save and revive this once glorious, traditional Sumba architecture. Today, ten of these structures are currently under repair. Three weeks ago, a group of architects, donors and selected media, paid a visit to the renovation site. The following is a report from Wainyapu by Tempo English reporter, Sadika Hamid, who was with the group.

. tempo : 173228057070.

To Maria Jatamaku, visiting Wainyapu hamlet in Kodi Balaghar, Southwest Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, is like going to a city of skyscrapers.' "It has tall houses, like highrise buildings," said the student from Flores.

The small hamletmeasuring 220 square metersis indeed crowded with soaring houses. With thatched roofs, the communal homes reaches 18 meters high. The gravestones in front of each house makes it look "like a stone-age metropolis," said Ma

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