Beurawe – subdistrict in Banda Aceh's Kuta Alam district, Aceh province
Beurawe is a subdistrict (kelurahan) that belongs to Kuta Alam district (kecamatan) within Banda Aceh city. Banda Aceh is the capital and largest city of Aceh province, situated on the northwestern tip of Sumatra island at approximately 5.56 degrees north latitude and 95.33 degrees east longitude. The city's elevation above sea level is 35 meters. Due to Banda Aceh's peninsula-like location, it is nearly completely surrounded by Aceh Besar Regency, with the Andaman Sea to its northwest. Beurawe lies directly within this urban fabric, administratively classified under Kuta Alam kecamatan.
General overview
Beurawe itself does not constitute a distinct, widely recognized tourist or commercial destination; rather, it is a residential and mixed-function neighborhood of Banda Aceh city. Its location within Kuta Alam district means that the subdistrict is organically integrated into the capital's urban fabric and shares in its infrastructure, transportation network, and public services. Banda Aceh itself covers an area of 61.36 square kilometers and had a population of 252,899 according to the 2020 census; the 2025 official estimate places the city's population at 267,962. Beurawe forms part of this urban environment, where daily life, retail commerce, and residential functions are intermingled. The name of the subdistrict is a toponym used in local Acehnese and Indonesian vernacular speech; it does not correspond to any particular administrative autonomy but is understood within the framework of Kuta Alam kecamatan. Since specific statistics for Beurawe are not available, the general characterization of the subdistrict must rely on data available at the level of Banda Aceh city.
Real estate and investment
Banda Aceh's real estate market has undergone significant transformation over the past two decades. The Indian Ocean earthquake of December 26, 2004, whose epicenter was only 249 kilometers from the coast, and the subsequent tsunami caused extraordinary destruction to the city—approximately 60,000 people lost their lives in Banda Aceh alone. The reconstruction process, involving both domestic and international assistance, essentially modernized the city's infrastructure and building stock. As a result, the city's real estate assets today are relatively modern, and in the period since reconstruction, subdistricts, including those belonging to Kuta Alam kecamatan, have become part of development processes. In the broader context of Aceh province, it is worth noting that in Indonesia, foreign nationals' property acquisition options are legally restricted: under Indonesian land ownership law (fundamentally the 1960 Land Law and its amendments), foreigners cannot acquire full ownership rights (hak milik), but are at most entitled to limited usage rights or building ownership titles for a specified period. Banda Aceh, as a provincial capital, is nonetheless a relatively stable, demand-generating urban center where residential real estate faces constant demand based on the local market; this indirectly influences the real estate market of Beurawe and other similar subdistricts. Specific price data or market trends at the Beurawe level are not available from verified sources.
Safety and security
Location-specific, verifiable statistical sources on Beurawe's public safety are not available, so only a characterization of the broader urban and provincial context is possible. Banda Aceh has a long historical background in armed conflicts between the Acehnese people and various external powers—Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, and subsequently the Indonesian government. The 2004 tsunami and the subsequent peace process (the Helsinki Accord signed in 2005 with the separatist movement Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) largely closed sustained armed conflict in the region. Over the past two decades, Banda Aceh has gradually stabilized, and based on available general assessments, the city is considered to have a level of public safety generally comparable to other Indonesian major cities. Aceh province uniquely among Indonesian territories applies Sharia-based local regulations, which influences public order and numerous aspects of daily life. This special legal status manifests itself within the framework of urban life and indirectly affects the daily life of Beurawe subdistrict.
Tourist attractions
Beurawe itself is not listed in tourist sources as a destination with independent attractions, and the available verified Wikipedia source does not name any attractions directly associated with the subdistrict. Within Banda Aceh city and its immediate vicinity, however, there are numerous historically and culturally significant locations known from verified sources. Regarding tourist interest affecting the city as a whole, Banda Aceh's old historic center, the legacy of the Sultanate of Aceh's former capital, is significant; the sultanate was founded in the late 15th century and grants the city an enduring cultural-historical significance as Mecca's "vestibule" (Serambi Mekkah). Memory of the 2004 tsunami and the reconstruction itself have become a form of contemporary historical testimony in the city. It is not possible to name specific attractions measurable in kilometers to Beurawe from verified sources, but through neighboring quarters within Kuta Alam kecamatan, Banda Aceh's downtown attractions are generally accessible on foot or via short local transportation.
Summary
Beurawe is an integral part of Banda Aceh city forming a kelurahan (subdistrict) situated within the administrative framework of Kuta Alam kecamatan on the northwestern tip of Sumatra in Aceh province's capital. The subdistrict does not possess an independent tourist or economic profile in available sources, but is part of the urban environment shaped jointly by post-2004 tsunami reconstruction and modernization, as well as Aceh's special provincial legal status. In terms of real estate market and public safety, the framework of relevance is provided by Banda Aceh-level and provincial relations, as detailed separate data for Beurawe is not available from verified sources.
