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Ombilin coal mine in Sawahlunto named UNESCO World Heritage site
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Goedang Ransoem Museum, which is used to be a public kitchen that served mine workers in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra, during the Dutch colonial period. (JP/Syofiardi Bachyul Jb)
T
he Ombilin coal mine in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra, the “oldest coal mining town in Southeast Asia”, has been named a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Sawahlunto Culture and Historical Preservation Agency head Rahmat Gino said the evaluation process for the coal mine went smoothly during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee, which commenced on June 30.
“In addition to Indonesia, there were 20 other countries that supported the nomination,” Rahmat told The Jakarta Post on Saturday, about two hours before the committee unanimously agreed to officially name Sawahlunto’s historic coal mine a World Heritage site.
This year’s World Heritage Committee session awarded World Heritage status to 35 destinations around the world, including five natural sites, two mixed sites (natural and cultural) and 28 cultural sites.
The coal mine in Sawahlunto belongs in the cultural site category.
Rahmat said members of the committee had undergone thorough deliberation on the nominees. He said Sawahlunto was the only Indonesian nominee to be named a World Heritage site this year.
In light of the latest development, there are nine World Heritage sites in Indonesia: the Borobudur temple compound in Malang, Central Java; the Prambanan temple compound in Yogyakarta, Central Java; Komodo National Park in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara; Ujung Kulon National Park in Banten and Lampung; the Sangiran Early Man Site in Sragen, Central Java; Lorenz National Park in Papua; the subak irrigation system in Bali; the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra in Aceh, Jambi, and Lampung; and the Ombilin coal mine in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra.
