Medan is the capital of North Sumatra and is the third largest city in Indonesia. Sumatra is one of the biggest islands on earth with a surface of 473,481 sq km. Guru Patimpus founded Medan around 1590. Gradually the sleepy village, Kampung Medan, developed into to present day Medan. The place where the river Deli meets the river Babura was the original location of the Kampung Medan; it is also known as Medan Deli as it was in the land of Deli back then.
The Batak Karo community were the first settlers in Medan. Later the king of Aceh, Sultan Iskandar Muda, ruled the region, and it was during this time that the kingdom of the Deli flourished. The Dutch government ruled the region from 1658 onwards. Medan became the capital of the northern province in 1915 and was declared a city in 1918.
With a population of more than 2 million, Medan is a bustling, delightfully exotic place to visit. Regular flights between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Jakarta and other parts of the globe make access to this rich trove of cultural treasures easy to access. Medan is home for many ethnic groups, cultures and customs. It is a place where you can experience a wide diversity of arts and cultures.
The province of North Sumatra is home to many of Sumatra's most popular attractions, including the jewel in the crown, Lake Toba, Other attractions are the Orangutan rehabilitation centre at Bukit Lawang, the Karo batak highlands around Brastagi and Pulau Nias off the west Coast