Buton Palace Museum

Buton Palace Museum occupies a fortified hilltop complex with stone walls surrounding the site and overlooking the Strait of Buton. The grounds contain multiple bastions and exhibition areas that demonstrate the defensive purpose of the fortification.

A sultan constructed the original stone walls in the 16th century to protect the territory. Later, the site was expanded with additional defensive structures and permanently fortified.

The fortress features twelve gateways known as Lawa, each named in the local Wolio language and serving as traditional entrances that connected the palace to surrounding settlements. These gates remain central to how visitors move through the complex today.

Visitors can walk through the grounds to explore the various defensive structures and exhibitions at their own pace. Wearing comfortable shoes is helpful since the site sits on hilly terrain.

The fortification earned recognition in a world records registry for its extensive scale, making it worthy of particular note. This certification distinguishes it among historic defensive sites.