Meunasah Cot – a gampong in Kecamatan Lhoong, Kabupaten Aceh Besar
Meunasah Cot is a gampong (village) in Kecamatan Lhoong, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, in Aceh province, Indonesia. Based on its coordinates (5.2200872° N, 95.2945694° E), the settlement is located in the northwestern part of the island of Sumatra. Kabupaten Aceh Besar is the regency of Aceh province, situated at the northwestern tip of Sumatra, and surrounds Banda Aceh, the provincial capital. Meunasah Cot has postal code 23354. Settlement-level statistical data is not publicly available, so the broader context presented below is based on verified information available at the level of Kecamatan Lhoong and Kabupaten Aceh Besar.
General overview
Meunasah Cot is a relatively small gampong with limited public documentation. Its name, in the local Acehnese tradition, refers to a communal prayer house (meunasah) and the geographical designation "cot" (hill, elevation). Kecamatan Lhoong in Kabupaten Aceh Besar comprises a total of 28 gampongs (villages). Lhoong is a district of Kabupaten Aceh Besar that is positioned both near the sea and mountains, making the area strategically significant from agricultural and natural perspectives. Kecamatan Lhoong stretches along a national main road connecting Aceh's southern-western region, linking Banda Aceh with Meulaboh – this route is referred to as Aceh's western-southern corridor. At the kabupaten level, the following key data are known: Kabupaten Aceh Besar has an area of 2,903.49 square kilometers, with a population of 351,418 in 2010 and 405,535 in 2020. According to id.wikipedia.org, by mid-2024 the kabupaten's population had reached 439,048. The regency surrounds Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, many of whose suburbs fall administratively under the jurisdiction of Kabupaten Aceh Besar. In Kabupaten Aceh Besar's agricultural production, cloves, nutmeg, palm oil, and rice are the dominant crops, with smaller quantities of corn, cassava, sweet potato, and beans also grown.
Real estate and investment
Independent real estate market data at the gampong level for Meunasah Cot is not available. The following are verifiable relationships applicable at the level of Kabupaten Aceh Besar and Aceh province. Aceh province holds a special administrative status within Indonesia: Aceh is the only province that possesses broad autonomy and special privileges, enshrined in Law No. 44 of 1999 regarding education, culture, religion, and the role of ulamas; following the 2005 peace agreement, under the Law on Aceh Governance (LOGA, Law No. 11 of 2006), Aceh was granted autonomy rights. Sharia law in effect in Aceh is regulated by Qanun, which affects not only criminal law but also areas of economy, commerce, and banking. In practice, this means that sharia-based structures also appear in real estate financing. Under Indonesian general land ownership law, foreign individuals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) over real estate in Indonesia; for them, the Hak Pakai (use rights) and Hak Sewa (lease rights) constructions are available, which can be applied in Aceh based on relevant national legislation. With respect to Kecamatan Lhoong, the area's accessibility – proximity to the Banda Aceh–Meulaboh national main road – potentially influences the region's real estate market perception, but concrete, attributable data on this are not currently publicly accessible. Before making an investment decision, it is advisable to involve a local professional with expertise in Indonesian law.
Safety and security
Public safety and security statistics for Meunasah Cot are not publicly available. The following can be stated in a verifiable manner at the level of Kabupaten Aceh Besar and Aceh province. Under Aceh's special autonomy rights, sharia law extends to all areas of daily life, including worship, family law, civil law, criminal law, justice administration, education, and religious protection. The Acehnese government guarantees freedom of religion and harmony among religious communities, and makes no distinction among religions. Kecamatan Lhoong is an agricultural and fishing region traversed by the national main road; in such rural areas in Indonesia, the crime rate is generally lower than in major cities, though travelers – due to mountainous sections and rainy seasons – should exercise heightened attention to traffic safety. On the section passing over Gunung Kulu and Gunung Paro mountains, there are steep inclines, sharp curves, and during rainy periods, slippery road surfaces and landslides can occur. In the absence of specific crime statistics, a general statement can be made: the area's rural character and religious-cultural traditions are determining factors in the norms of local community life.
Tourist attractions
No sources are available regarding named tourist attractions within Meunasah Cot gampong itself. However, the neighboring Kecamatan Lhoong – to which the gampong administratively belongs – possesses natural attractions based on multiple verified sources. Gunung Paro and Gunung Kulu are located within Kecamatan Lhoong and are popular hiking destinations among local residents for their landscape panoramas. The beach called Lhok Paroy is situated between Gunung Kulu and Gunung Paro, precisely within the territory of Gampong Paroy in Kecamatan Lhoong. Its access is somewhat difficult, making it less frequently visited; its white sandy shoreline is visible from the Banda Aceh–Calang national main road. The coastal area called Paro Cut near Gunung Paro is also located in Kecamatan Lhoong, Kabupaten Aceh Besar; its wide sandy beach is surrounded by green rolling hills and remains largely untouched in its natural state. At the regency level, it is also worth noting that Kabupaten Aceh Besar contains several cultural and historical sites: the Museum Cut Nyak Dhien was originally the residence of the national heroine Cut Nyak Dhien. The memorial of Admiral Malahayati is located approximately 32 kilometers from Banda Aceh city. These attractions are connected to the broader kabupaten level and are not necessarily accessible from the immediate vicinity of Meunasah Cot.
Summary
Meunasah Cot is a small gampong in Kecamatan Lhoong, for which virtually no independent publicly accessible data are available. The broader administrative unit, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, is Indonesia's westernmost regency and forms part of Aceh province, which possesses special autonomy operating on the basis of sharia law. The natural characteristics of Kecamatan Lhoong – its location along the Banda Aceh–Meulaboh national main road, the mountains of Gunung Paro and Gunung Kulu, and the coastal landscape – determine the character of the region. From a real estate and investment perspective, the sharia-compatible legal framework applicable to the kabupaten as a whole, as well as the general framework of Indonesian foreign land ownership regulations, are relevant; for specific decisions, the involvement of a local legal and real estate market expert is warranted.
