A house on stilts for the Bugis-Makassarese is not just a building. The philosophy of life, social strata, and cosmogony views of the Bugis-Makassarese are embodied in houses on stilts.
By
RENY SRI AYU ARMAN
·6 minutes read
RENY SRI AYU ARMAN
A Patahuddin Mallombassang enters his stilt house on Jalan Sultan Alauddin, Makassar. This house has been inhabited by three generations. One of the roofs resembles the shape of a traditional house in Central Java.
The metropolitan hustle and bustle have not been enough to make all Makassar residents dissolve in the will of the times. Among the dominance of concrete buildings, some residents are still loyal to traditional houses on stilts.
Marjuni Amiruddin, 53, was relaxing under his stilted house located in an alley on Jl. Yos Sudarso, Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Monday (21/3/2022) afternoon. A neighbor also sat there while chatting with Marjuni's wife. Enjoying the wind was the reason why the neighbors felt comfortable spending the afternoon at Marjuni's stilt house.
The stilt house is more than 20 years old and was built using ulin wood, which in South Sulawesi is known as sappu wood. The house measuring 10 meters by 20 m is firmly supported by 12 alliri or supporting poles about 2 m high.
“Friends and family, especially those from out of town, love visiting here. They enjoy sitting under or on the terrace above. Neighbors often spend time under the house in the afternoon or evening,” said Marjuni.
Among the rows of modern houses in the alley, Marjuni's stilt house stands out. The wood is black and the home looks cool under the shade with various plants in its small yard.
Marjuni said that in the beginning, they lived in an ordinary house. When they were about to renovate the house, Marjuni's parents chose to replace it with a house on stilts. The reason was to continue the tradition of houses on stilts in the villages where the childhood home of Marjuni's mother was. There was a longing to enjoy a house on stilts after his mother left her hometown in Soppeng regency, about 160 kilometers northeast of Makassar.
Marjuni and his siblings also understood the wishes of their parents. Therefore, their house was demolished and transformed into a wooden house. This house was ordered in Barru regency, about 100 km north of Makassar. Marjuni and his mother chose the model of the house, as well as the wood to be used.
RENY SRI AYU ARMAN
A mother and her child walk into a house on stilts on Jalan Yos Sudarso, Makassar, Monday (21/3/2022). Previously at this location stood a permanent house, but later the owner replaced it with a house on stilts.
In Barru, the house was made by expert craftsmen. When finished, parts of the house were brought to Makassar and installed in its current location. They chose the model of a traditional house or a house on stilts in the Soppeng area, following their mother's hometown. Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, almost nothing has changed in this house. Marjuni was reluctant to replace it. He even enjoyed this house with all his memories.
On Jl. Sultan Alauddin, a crowded and busy lane on the Makassar-Gowa connecting axis, two houses on stilts also stand firmly. Located in a location with fairly spacious land and several large trees in the front yard, this house always steal the attention of people passing by.
One of the houses on stilts has shorter poles, about 1 m, with a roof resembling a traditional house in Central Java. There are many Jepara carvings on the outer or inner walls of the house. However, the shape of the stairs and terraces are still typical of Bugis-Makassar houses.
This house has been inhabited for at least three generations, from the first generation named Andi Time Karaeng Ballajawaya. The naming of Ballajawaya — which means Javanese house — behind Andi Time's name could be because the model of this house adopts some forms of the Javanese house.
"The shape of the roof has always been like that. If the poles are short, they have been cut. This house used to face north because it followed the road in front of the house. Then, the road behind the house was built and became the main road. At that time the house was turned around and its poles were cut off. I also don't know the exact reason,” said Andi Patahuddin Mallombassang, part of the third generation to live in the house.
When the family wanted to build a new house next to this house, it was decided to build a house that was shaped like a typical Bugis-Makassar stilt house.
Patahuddin and his family are very comfortable in this house. Every now and then he would remember how the family used to utilize the part under the house or the upper terrace to hang out. Frequently relatives who come with business that is not so important or just stop by to say hello prefer to sit and relax under the house or terrace.
RENY SRI AYU ARMAN
One of the remaining stilt houses in the middle of the business center in Makassar City, Monday (21/3/2022). This more than 30 year old house is flanked by shop houses and is only about 300 meters from Panakkukang Mall, one of the major malls in Makassar.
Easy to find
In Makassar, houses on stilts are still common. In settlements along the left and right sides of the Ir Sutami Toll Road, there are still many residents who live on stilt houses. Around the Paotere Fish Landing Port, stilt houses are still easy to find. There are also many houses on stilts around the Somba Opu Fort.
Even, stilt houses with various shapes representing all regencies in South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi exist in the Somba Opu Fort area. These houses were deliberately built by the government about 20 years ago as a mini form of South Sulawesi. This area has also become a tourist spot with traditional houses that are used for various activities.
The remaining stilt houses in Makassar are still in their original shape, but some have been modified by adding a permanent building under the house. Others use zinc walls to replace wood, which is increasingly difficult to find and expensive.
“I actually want to use all types of wood, but now finding good wood is difficult and expensive. Hence, only the floor is made of wood. I used zinc on the walls. The important thing is that it is still in the form of a house on stilts,” said Daeng Baji, 50, a resident of Salodong.
The important thing is that it is still in the form of a house on stilts.
In houses on stilts that still leave space underneath them, many activities, especially gatherings, are carried out in this area. That's why under stilt houses, there are usually bale-bale or wooden chairs. Usually, under the house, babies are also swung. Swing ropes are tied to sturdy wooden poles supporting the floor.
In villages in South Sulawesi, usually before the holidays and celebrations, the part under the house is used as a place to cut pandan leaves and make ketupat or cut banana leaves to wrap burasa (a type of flat-shaped rice cake) and other snacks.
These memories are so attached to the hearts of many people who have experienced living in houses on stilts. That's why some people still preserve them.
They are actually not only loyal to the houses on stilts and preserving the cultural heritage, but also take care of the memories that they find soothing.
