Rumah Lontiok (meaning Lontiok House) is a traditional house of Kampar,

Riau Province Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accordi ...

. ''Lontiok'' (''lentik'' in

Bahasa Indonesia Indonesian ( ) is the official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standardized variety of Malay, an Austronesian language that has been used as a lingua franca in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago for centuries. Indonesia is t ...

) means arched or curved. ''Lontiok'' term corresponds to the form of roof ridge which is arched upward as a symbol to honor

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...

. Another terms used for ''Rumah Lontiok'' is ''Rumah Pencalang'' or ''Rumah Lancang'' (traditional sailing wooden ship). It is based on the similarities between the base of front and back of wooden wall with ''Lancang'' (the wooden sailing ship), the similarities between the form of the outer leaning of wooden wall of ''Lontiok'' House with ''lancang'' which is leaning outward, and the similarities between ''Lontiok'' House with traditional wooden sailing ship house (magon) made by the community living onto the river and sea. The space or room inside of ''Rumah Lontiok'' are classified into three different spaces ; they are lower space, central space, and back space. The classification of those spaces are adjusted to the terms "''Alam nan tigo"'' or "universe of three divisions", a concept of sociality in society. They are ''berkawan'' (friendship), (kinship), and s''emalu'' (bashfulness). Lower and central spaces, separated by a wooden wall, are the main house. Lower space itself, a symbol of companionship, is divided into two different functions; lower edge and lower base. Lower edge room is used for ''ninik mamak'' (honorable men) and guests sitting place in certain ceremonies. Furthermore, it is used as praying room in daily life too. Whereas, the Lower base house is used for sitting place for ''ninik mamak'' as house owners. Besides that, it is used as their sleeping room, Central space, symbolizes ' (family kinship), is divided into two; they are ''Poserek'' and central edging. ''Poserek'' is gathering place for older woman and children. It might be used as sleeping room for women and children in necessity situation. Whereas, the central edging is used for sleeping room for house owners. Bride and groom bridals chairs may be placed in this room when wedding party takes place. Back space is divided into two; ''sulo pandan'' and ''pedapuan'' ( kitchen). ''Sulo Pandan'' is the room for keeping daily needs and cooking utensils. Whereas, ''pedapuan'' is used for kitchen, family eating place, and woman guest servicing. Sometimes, it may be used as sleeping room for unmarried daughter. This room is a reflection of ''alam semalu'' (bashfulness), a place to keep family secret. Decoration type of used at ''Rumah Lontiok'' consists of several types; they are plants and animals style, geometrical style in form of ''kundur'' blossom, fern root, ''selembayung'' in form of buffalo head, over hanging bee, ''rebung'' (bamboo shoot) sprout, star, etc.

References

{{Indonesian architecture Rumah adat