LA FORTERESSE DU PALAIS DE BUTON

The Buton Palace Fort, located in Bau-Bau, is a true historical marvel. Built with three components, Badili, Lawa and Baluara, this circular fort has an impressive circumference of 2,740 meters. The site received honors from the Museum of Indonesian World Records (MURI) and the Guinness Book of Records in 2006, as the world's largest castle, extending over some 23,375 hectares.

With its 12 gates called Lawa and 16 cannons called Baluara, the Buton Palace Fort, perched on a steep hill, was once the best place for defense. From its still solid ramparts, the view of the town of Bau-Bau and the ships in the Buton Strait is impressive.

This historic building houses various relics from the Sultanate of Buton. In the ^16th century, during the reign of Sultan Buton III, the fort was initially built as a pile of stones around the palace complex to serve as a defensive barrier. Later, under the reign of Sultan Buton IV, La Elangi or Sultan Dayanu Ikhsanuddin, the fort was consolidated into a permanent structure.

During the golden age of the Buton Sultanate, the fort played a crucial role in ensuring the dynasty's survival, repelling enemy threats for over four centuries.

For the record, the particularity of the construction of these ramparts lies in the use of a singular cement composed of sand, chalk and eggs, which has stood the test of time.