Beurandeh – a small Sumatran village in Mesjid Raya District, Aceh Besar Regency
Beurandeh is an Indonesian village (desa) that belongs to the Mesjid Raya Kecamatan within the administrative territory of Kabupaten Aceh Besar, in Aceh Province, on the northern part of Sumatra island. Based on its coordinates (5.5649747° N, 95.5066242° E), the settlement is located near Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, in a strategically important peninsular zone bounded by the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean. According to Indonesian sources, Aceh Besar Regency is Indonesia's westernmost regency, which underscores the geographical and geopolitical distinctiveness of Beurandeh's broader region. No independent, detailed statistical or encyclopedic source exists for the settlement itself, so the description below relies primarily on verified data available at the Kabupaten Aceh Besar level and general knowledge regarding the region.
General overview
Beurandeh belongs to Mesjid Raya Kecamatan, which likely derives its name ("Great Mosque") from a local identifying characteristic connected to Acehnese Islamic architectural heritage. The regency as a whole had a population of 439,048 according to Wikipedia's Indonesian source as of mid-2024; however, this figure applies to the entire administrative unit and cannot be reliably disaggregated to the level of individual villages. The seat of Aceh Besar Regency is Jantho, located in the Seulawah mountain range; the seat was previously Banda Aceh, from which it separated to become an independent city only in the late 1970s. This administrative transformation explains why the regency's current administrative structure is relatively recent, and several kecamatan, including Mesjid Raya, are located on the periphery of the Banda Aceh agglomeration zone. Beurandeh itself can be considered a small, agrarian village, which — like other similar settlements in the region — likely is characterized by local rice cultivation and horticulture, as well as fishing, given its proximity to the coast. These are, however, generalizations based on patterns typical of villages similarly situated in Mesjid Raya District and Aceh Besar Regency, rather than deriving from sources specific to Beurandeh.
Real estate and investment
No settlement-level data is available regarding Beurandeh's real estate market. In the broader context — that is, at the level of Aceh Besar Regency and Aceh Province — it is worth noting several generally applicable considerations. Aceh Province is one of Indonesia's special autonomous regions, where customary law (adat) and Islamic law (syariah) can influence daily life and economic processes to some extent, including the real estate sector. In Indonesia generally, foreign nationals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) to real estate; the available legal instruments for them are Hak Pakai (usage rights) or Hak Sewa (lease rights), and this applies to Aceh Province as well. The real estate market in Banda Aceh and its immediate hinterland, including certain areas of Aceh Besar Regency, has shown gradual recovery over the past decade following the destruction caused by the 2004 tsunami, during which numerous villages in the region suffered severe damage. This historical factor may be a determining background context for Mesjid Raya district and its constituent villages, including Beurandeh, in terms of property conditions and infrastructure development. In smaller, rural villages, real estate development activity is typically low, and when weighing investment decisions, it is advisable to involve a local notary and lawyer to obtain up-to-date knowledge of applicable regulations.
Safety and security
No specific public safety statistics or crime data for Beurandeh are publicly available. Aceh Province holds a unique legal and social status within Indonesia: after the Aceh peace agreement (2005), the region that had been affected by armed conflict for decades gradually stabilized. In the nearly two decades since then, the province's public safety situation has generally improved, and Aceh Besar Regency, as a neighboring unit to Banda Aceh, can be counted among the relatively consolidated areas of the province. In small villages, local community norms and Muslim religious values play a strong role in social organization, which generally strengthens the local foundations of public safety maintenance. Nevertheless, for travelers and investors, it is always advisable to monitor current travel advisories from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant country's embassy, as public safety conditions can vary over time and by location.
Tourist attractions
No named tourist attractions are listed in available sources for Beurandeh village itself. However, regarding the broader region — that is, Kabupaten Aceh Besar and Mesjid Raya District — it is worth highlighting several verifiable, generally known facts. Aceh Besar Regency was home to the birthplace of Cut Nyak Dhien, an Indonesian national hero, who came from Lampadang village — this fact appears in Wikipedia's Indonesian source and indicates the historical and cultural significance of the regency. From the Mesjid Raya district area in close proximity to Banda Aceh, the city center of Banda Aceh is relatively easily accessible, where one can find, among other things, the Baiturrahman Great Mosque and memorials and museums related to the 2004 tsunami. The district bearing the name Mesjid Raya itself may allude to local sacred architectural heritage; however, precise identification of these is not possible due to a lack of reliable sources. Due to its coastal location, fishing villages and coastal areas can be found along the Banda Aceh–Mesjid Raya axis, which may be of interest to nature enthusiasts, though sources do not confirm direct connection to Beurandeh.
Summary
Beurandeh is a small, poorly documented village in Mesjid Raya Kecamatan of Aceh Besar Regency, in the special autonomous region of Aceh Province on northern Sumatra. The regency had a population of approximately 440,000 in 2024 and is considered Indonesia's westernmost regency. The infrastructural background resulting from proximity to the Banda Aceh agglomeration zone and the post-2004 tsunami reconstruction process both shape the region's present character. No independent sources specific to Beurandeh regarding tourism, real estate markets, or public safety statistics are available; the conclusions presented above are based on data verifiable at the regency and provincial levels.
