My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami

On 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake hit the northwest coast of Sumatra, followed by a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Banda Aceh was the nearest big city to the shore, which suffered the

On 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake hit the northwest coast of Sumatra, followed by a tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Banda Aceh was the nearest big city to the shore, which suffered the most damage.

The tsunami in 2004 was not the first, which occurred in Banda Aceh. It had happened several times in the past. Many survivors were saved from the disaster because of the old tradition, where stories about disasters were told across generations as the warning in life.

Unfortunately, this good habit seems to be forgotten because of the war conflict in Banda Aceh for long decades, which was the fight for Banda Aceh’s independence from Indonesia. Acehnese focused more on the conflict issues than disaster awareness; hence disaster awareness had become totally forgotten.

A new hope about the better future of Aceh began on 15 August 2005, when Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian Republic finally agreed to sign a peace agreement since the conflict started on 4 December 1976. A peace agreement which is widely known as the Memorandum of Understanding of Helsinki, was realized after the tsunami.

Peace, however, became a common starting point after two conflicts; war and disaster. Hence the people gathered together to offer happiness and an unlimited prayer of gratitude. Enthusiastically, the spirit to rebuild Aceh was rising within Acehnese to be better than before.

More than hundreds of thousands of people became victims of the tsunami. The survivors can’t do anything, but keep their beloved ones’ memory, pray for them, simply dealing with it and continuing their life.

The peace of Aceh province is also protected by the sharia religious law to keep it as a Paradise on Earth.

© András Polgár - 01. Al-Quran has been found after the disaster and conserved in Banda Aceh city's Tsunami Museum.
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01. Al-Quran has been found after the disaster and conserved in Banda Aceh city's Tsunami Museum.

© András Polgár - 02. The landscape of Banda Aceh from the Indian Ocean.
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02. The landscape of Banda Aceh from the Indian Ocean.

© András Polgár - 03. The Arabic word of Allah (means God) painted on the rocks near Lhoknga beach.
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03. The Arabic word of Allah (means God) painted on the rocks near Lhoknga beach.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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04. Banda Aceh is laying on the northwestern "peek" of Indonesia. The ocean water is a natural resource of the area all year long.

© András Polgár - 05. Local painter's work, which tells the story of the earthquake and the tsunami.
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05. Local painter's work, which tells the story of the earthquake and the tsunami.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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06. The one-story buildings had no chance on 26 December 2004 against the flood, nor did their occupants. The quake waves, followed by the huge water pressure and the sediment transported, also damaged the reinforced concrete.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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07. The hydroelectric vessel, PLTD Apung 1’s body was swept by the water 2-3 km from the shore. Since then, as a memento, it has been on a solid base, its surroundings have been inaugurated as a memorial park, and we can already see an exhibition inside the ship.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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08. Rahmatullah Mosque has suffered a huge damage due to its close location to the ocean in Lampuuk beach. Still, the mosque was the only building in the area, which has not been totally demolished by the tsunami, which is a very strong religious symbolism, including a high Islamic philosophical significance.

© András Polgár - 09. The remains of the dry ocean corals inside the refurnished mosque have left untouched as a memento.
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09. The remains of the dry ocean corals inside the refurnished mosque have left untouched as a memento.

© András Polgár - 10. Archive photo from Rahmatullah Mosque nearly 4 month after the disaster, showing the survivors' evening prayer.
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10. Archive photo from Rahmatullah Mosque nearly 4 month after the disaster, showing the survivors' evening prayer.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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11. Detail of the untouched part of the Rahmatullah Mosque; the 5 pillars of Islam are the shahada (declaration of faith), salat (prayer), zakat (charity), sawm in Ramadan (fasting) and the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

© András Polgár - 12. Rolled up sajadas (prayer rugs) in the Rahmatullah Mosque.
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12. Rolled up sajadas (prayer rugs) in the Rahmatullah Mosque.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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13. The most famous mosque of Banda Aceh is Baiturrahman, stands in the city center. In the day of the catastrophe people also used the tall building as an evacuation point.

© András Polgár - 14. The empty Baiturrahman Mosque after the 26 December 2019 dzikr (a meditation to praise God) prayer.
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14. The empty Baiturrahman Mosque after the 26 December 2019 dzikr (a meditation to praise God) prayer.

© András Polgár - Image from the My lovely sharia; Banda Aceh after the 26 December 2004 Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami photography project
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15. Tawakkul, trust in almighty God in every situation – detail of the Tsunami Museum, the top of a 30 meters high chimney to represent the highest waves from 26 December 2004.