Medan

Medan is the capital of North Sumatra in Indonesia and sits near the coast along the Strait of Malacca. The city divides into several districts with densely built residential areas, commercial streets, and occasional green spaces along the Deli River.

The Dutch declared this settlement a city in 1886 after the region grew economically through tobacco cultivation and other agricultural exports. Traders and plantation workers from different parts of Asia settled here in the following decades, shaping the multicultural character of the place today.

The Great Mosque of Medan, built in the early 1900s, shows Moorish influences in its design and serves as one of the most important religious buildings in the area. Every Friday, large gatherings of worshippers come together for communal prayer, and vendors nearby sell fresh fruit and local snacks along the surrounding streets.

Kualanamu International Airport sits roughly 39 km (24 miles) outside and connects to many Asian cities, with regular shuttle buses running to the center. Inside the city, numerous minibuses, taxis, and motorbike taxis operate along the streets and can be hailed from the roadside.

Maimun Palace combines Italian, Malay, Spanish, and Indian architectural elements in a single building with yellow exterior walls and black roof tiles. The colors represent the historical Deli Sultanate and continue to appear in public ceremonies across the region today.

Location: North Sumatra

Inception: July 1, 1590

Founders: Guru Patimpus

Elevation above the sea: 26 m

Shares border with: Deli Serdang

Website: https://portal.medan.go.id

GPS coordinates: 3.58944,98.67389

Latest update: December 14, 2025 19:31