The Tomb of Raja Ali Haji

The Tomb of Raja Ali Haji is situated on Penyengat Indera Sakti Island, Kepulauan Riau province. It is the tomb of a famous leader not only in this province, but also other parts of Indonesia. This island is synonymous with the great poet. For the local Malay, particularly those living on Malacca peninsula, he is a great hero who should be respected and honored.

His full name is Raja Ali al-Hajj ibni Raja Ahmad al-Hajj ibni Raja Haji Fisabilillah bin Opu Daeng Celak, alias Engku Haji Ali ibni Engku Haji Ahmad Riau. He was born in 1808, or 1193 Hijriah, in Riau-Lingga Sultanate on Penyengat Island, and died in 1873 on the same island.

Getting There

The entry point to Kepulauan Riau province is Batam. You can take a flight to Hang Nadim International Airport, located on Hang Nadim Street, Batu Besar, Batam.

You can also come through Port Sri Bintan Pura, in Tanjung Pinang. Here, there are many small vessels that can take you to Malaysia and Singapore. It will take about 20 minutes from Tanjung Pinang Port to Penyengat Island by a small motorboat locally known as a Pompong. It will only cost you Rp10,000 (about 1 US Dollar) per person, or you can rent the boat for Rp80,000 (about 7 US Dollar) per Pompong to take you round trip.

The Tomb of Raja Ali Haji is located within the cemetary of Engku Putri Raja Hamidah, outside the main building of the Tomb of Engku Putri Raja Hamidah. Inside this main building, there is an excerpt of the famous “Gurindam Dua Belas” (the Twelve Aphorism). The Tomb of Raja Ali Haji itself has a green roof. Two grave stones on this tomb are properly covered with yellow fabrics.

Getting Around

To travel around Penyengat Island, you can take a “Becak Motor (Bemor)” (a three wheel motor vehicles) for Rp 20,000 (2 US Dollars). On the island, visitors will not find any cars or similar vehicles.

To Do

His simple tomb is located at the foot of a small hill surrounded by shaddy trees. When entering this cemetary, you will find several typical buildings including a small mosque with a dome dan niche. It has yellow and green walls with round windows.

You can continue your journey to other historical sites on this island such as the Sultan Riau Mosque, tombs of Kings, forts, Government Palace, etc.

To Stay

There are no hotels or commercial inns on this island. If you want, some of the locals provide homestays. But there are also a lot of affordable hotels in Tanjung Pinang.

To Buy

Another reason to stay in Tanjung Pinang: gift shops are abound. There's no particular souvenir outlet in Penyengat Island. So the next best thing is buying local handicrafts from Tanjung Pinang's shops.

Quoted from : http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/161/the-tomb-of-raja-ali-haji

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours