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Island off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia
Photo: monica renata from jakarta, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Nias (or Pulau Nias, Nias Island) is an island the Indian Ocean off North Sumatra. Isolated yet worldly, the Nias Island chain has been trading since prehistory with other cultures, other islands, and even mainland Asia.
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Bawomataluo is a traditional hilltop village renowned for its preserved architecture and megalithic culture. The village is laid out around a large stone-paved central plaza, lined with imposing wooden houses (omo hada) raised on massive pillars. It is best known for the stone-jumping ritual, once a test of warrior strength, in which young men leap over a two-metre-high stone wall.
Dating back several centuries, Bawomataluo also features megalithic monuments, ancestral statues, and ceremonial spaces that reflect the island’s rich cultural traditions. Now a UNESCO-listed cultural heritage site (tentative), it offers visitors a rare glimpse into a living megalithic society.
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Gunungsitoli · Regional · GNS
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