Siak
Palace
The 11th Sultan of the Siak kingdom began constructing this palace in 1889. The decorative wall tiles were imported from China, the marble floor tiles from Italy. The windows are decorated with stained glass. Inside the palace there are two beautiful spiral staircases. The palace is guarded by eagles, which sit atop pillars around the property.
When Indonesia became independent in 1945 the palace was given to the government because the last Sultan did not have any descendants to continue the kingdom.
The palace is home to one of only two working gramophones in the world. (The second one is in Germany.) Because of the unstable geographic conditions, the ground underneath the palace is constantly shifting, resulting in a need for constant renovation.
Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock.
Matthew 7:24-25
- Pray that the Riau Malay would find ways to preserve their heritage while also moving confidently into the future.
- Pray that the Riau Malay would build their lives on a solid foundation.