goodmorningpapua.com – One of the cities that is quite unique in Indonesia is Agats City. The city is inhabited by the Asmat Tribe in Papua.
Quoting from papua.bpk.go.id, the uniqueness of Agats City lies in the use of boards in every street. The city stands on peat soil, so it has no roads.
Every highway or walkway in the city is built on board the width of a sidewalk. To reach other districts, people usually use canoe or speed boats with quite expensive rental fees.
Yes, the boardwalk in Agats City at a glance looks like a pier road. All roads in the city of Agats do resemble bridges made of iron wood.
However, with the development of the times and technology, these bridges began to be perfected in the form of even stronger concrete. All buildings in this city also adapt to the shape of the houses on stilts.
In addition to the streets, another unique feature of this city is the use of electric-powered motorcycles. The motorbike is the main means of transportation in the city.
The reason is that the wooden bridge road that stretches across the Agats area is considered not to be able to withstand the heavy load of motorized engines and cars. In addition to electric motors, the residents of Agats, most of whom are immigrants from areas outside Asmat, rely on sea transportation in the form of motorboats or simply on foot.
The condition of swampy soil which makes it difficult for the land to provide clean water has an impact on the availability of clean water in Agats City. Until now, they survive with rainwater that is stored in water tubes.
Although it has some limitations, the facilities and infrastructure of Agats City are sufficient. Ports, government offices, hospitals, markets, police stations, army posts, schools, and even museums are already in this city.
Citizens are free to carry out various activities and gradually develop businesses to support their lives. Many of them ended up opening a grocery store or restaurant.
Agats City is the capital of a new expansion area of Asmat Regency, which is part of Papua Province. This city is located on the southern coast of Papua Island and adjacent to the Timika area in Mimika Regency.
Agats is an important city for the surrounding districts. The reason is, this city plays a major role in running the economy and government.
On the indonesiakaya.com page it is written, almost a hundred years ago, a Dutch priest named Jan Smith carried out a mission to spread the gospel in the interior of the Asmat Tribe. At that time, everything was still limited and the Asmat were still primitive.
Despite facing many challenges in his mission, Pastor Jan Smith persisted in his determination to serve God. One day, the priest was mysteriously killed.
Before he died, he had made a statement that was often interpreted as a curse by the locals. He said that the southern coast of Papua, namely Agats, would be wet and become a swamp forever.
Until now, the people of Agats still believe in the myth of the curse. They think that the words spoken by the Pastor are the reason the city of Agats will always be a city that stands on a swamp.
The words of the priest whose statue was established in the small port of Agats have also been spread by word of mouth and are considered a myth of the occurrence of the muddy land in Agats.