Tamarunang – a kelurahan in Makassar city in Mariso District
Tamarunang is a kelurahan, an administrative unit operating within a city, which is located in Mariso District (kecamatan) in Makassar city, South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan) province. The settlement is located in the southern part of Sulawesi island in Indonesia, within the city's urban area. Tamarunang falls directly under the administration of Makassar city government, and like many other kelurahans in the city, it contributes to the functioning of urban public life and administration. The basic information about the settlement is derived from Indonesian administrative registers.
General overview
Tamarunang forms part of Mariso District (kecamatan), which functions as an internal administrative unit of Makassar city. The settlement is relatively small in area, covering a total of 0.12 square kilometers, and is administratively organized into 19 sections (RT – rukun tetangga) and 5 larger self-governing units (RW – rukun warga). According to 2019 data, Tamarunang had a population of 6,427 people, comprising 3,224 men and 3,203 women. This population figure indicates the densely inhabited character of the area, where properties and buildings are situated close to one another. The kelurahan administrative center is located on Nuri Baru street at number 103, which provides facilities for handling the settlement's administrative and public service needs.
Mariso District is one of the inner districts of Makassar, which forms an important part of the city's economic, transportation, and social life. Such urban kelurahans typically have a mixed residential and commercial character, where small shops, handicrafts, services, and lower-income residential properties intermingle. Tamarunang is such a type of settlement community, where the rhythm of life aligns with the city's pulse. Community organization functions at the local level, within the framework of RT and RW structures, which are the lowest-level community and administrative organizations in Indonesia. These units are responsible for maintaining public order, handling street and social matters, and coordinating local development.
Real estate and investment
From a real estate market perspective, Tamarunang forms part of Makassar city's urban area, located in Mariso District. Makassar, as the largest city in South Sulawesi province and the entire Sulawesi region, has undergone dynamic development over the past decades. The city's built-up areas, particularly inner districts such as Mariso, have relatively higher population concentrations, which is also reflected in the real estate market. Densely inhabited urban kelurahans like Tamarunang typically provide housing accessible to average-income urban residents and serve as homes to small business and service units.
Real estate development in Makassar has generally progressed at an accelerating pace over the past two decades, though the most prominent residential and commercial projects tend to concentrate on the city's periphery, where more land for construction is available. In the inner districts of the city, where Tamarunang is located, properties mainly consist of already-inhabited, often inherited or older-built houses and smaller apartment buildings. Makassar city operates under Indonesian law and property ownership falls under the rules of the Indonesian civil code. For foreign investors, acquiring long-term property ownership is subject to limited possibilities under Indonesian law, however agreements with collateral mortgages or long-term leases are possible. In literature and economic reports, Makassar is known as the dynamic economic center of Sulawesi and is forward-looking in infrastructure development and commercial expansion, which may provide basis for moderate optimism regarding real estate market prospects.
Safety and security
Tamarunang, as a directly administered administrative unit of Makassar city, falls under the city's general public order system. Makassar city, as the administrative and economic center of the region, operates under the supervision of the South Sulawesi Police (Kepolisian Daerah Sulawesi Selatan) and the city police headquarters (Polrestabes Makassar). Settlements located in densely inhabited inner city areas, such as Tamarunang, typically have the maintenance of urban public order as one of the tasks of local community self-governing bodies (at RT and RW levels), which operate in close cooperation with police and local administrative authorities.
The Sulawesi region, including South Sulawesi province, has experienced relative stabilization in public order over the past decades, however as with large cities elsewhere, Makassar also experiences forms of urban crime characteristic of major cities, such as petty theft, pickpocketing, bicycle robberies, and minor violent crimes. The occurrence of such cases is not characteristic of the entire city but is generally typical of urban environments, and in most inner residential and commercial neighborhoods, the practice of average urban caution is sufficient. Densely inhabited kelurahans such as Tamarunang often operate with better community organization and public order coordination provided by local leadership, which is oriented toward improving safety. Regarding the public safety situation in such settlements, basic caution practiced in nighttime travel and in safeguarding valuables is generally adequate.
Tourist attractions
Tamarunang, as an inner city kelurahan, does not possess strong tourist attractions in the conventional tourism sense. The settlement has a residential and commercial character, where everyday urban life takes place, and it is typically not the location of organized tourist programs. In Mariso District, however, as in other parts of Makassar city, numerous small local markets, restaurants, and service institutions operate, serving the needs of the local community.
The tourist significance of Makassar city as a whole is, however, more substantial, and the city possesses numerous points of interest in nearby areas. Notable sites such as Fort Rotterdam (Benteng Rotterdam) or the city's historic quarter are located in the city's central and southern parts, and are positioned toward the Makassar port. Pantai Losari (Losari Beach), which is considered a symbol of Makassar, also rises in the city's central-western part and is a popular public gathering destination for locals and some tourists. Tamarunang is, however, mostly at a further travel distance from these major attractions, and functions at most as a participant in the city's urban life rather than as a direct tourist destination. For authentic urban ethnography and observation of everyday Indonesian public life, however, such local kelurahans provide valuable insight for travelers wishing to experience the city beyond the usual tourist routes.
Summary
Tamarunang is a kelurahan located in Mariso District of Makassar city, which forms part of urban administration, and is a community of approximately 6,400 people situated on an area of 0.12 square kilometers. The settlement is organized at the local level within the RT and RW system and is integrated into Makassar's general administrative, public order, and economic context. From the perspectives of real estate market, public safety, and tourism, the settlement possesses the character of an average urban kelurahan, which serves not primarily as a tourist destination but rather as a functional everyday part of the city.
