Batak architecture
Batak architecture Batak architecture refers to the related architectural traditions and designs of the various Batak peoples of North Sumatra, Indonesia. There are six groups of Batak who speak separate but related languages: the Angkola and the Mandailing to the south, the Toba, and to the north the Pakpak/Dairi, the Simalungun, and the Karo. While the Batak groups are now Muslim or Christian, elements of the ancient Batak religion remain, particularly amongst the Karo. The architecture and village layouts of the six Batak groups show significant variety. Toba Batak houses, for example, are boat-shaped with intricately carved gables and upsweeping roof ridges, and Karo Batak houses rise up in tiers. Both are built on piles and are derived from an ancient Dong-Son model. The bale, rumah ("house"), and sopo ("rice barn") are the three main building types common to the different Batak groups. The rumah has traditionally been a large house in which a group of famil...