Sonyine Malige

North Maluku


Around 200m north of Benteng Tahula, the Sonyine Malige Sultan’s Memorial Museum displays the sultan’s throne and giant spittoons, plus the royal crown topped with cassowary feathers (considered as magical as Ternate’s own mahkota, or royal crown).

To enter the museum, you’ll have to first find the curator, Umar Muhammad, who works at the DIKNAS office in the Dinas Pendidikan dan Kebudayan building, 2km north. Umar has been known to demand hefty entry fees of up to 100,000Rp.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby North Maluku attractions

1. Benteng Torre

0.14 MILES

No less spectacular than its nearby twin, Benteng Tahula, Torre was built by the Spanish in the early 17th century. Broken lava flows, vivid tropical…

2. Benteng Tahula

0.5 MILES

A legacy of Spain's short-lived presence in Tidore, this early 17th-century fort is well preserved, with orderly market gardens within and spectacular…

3. Pantai Kajoli

4.64 MILES

Down on Tidore's southern coast, slender and small Pantai Kajoli is the island's best strip of white sand.

4. Pantai Akasahu

5.51 MILES

The beach itself isn't special, but the modest hot-spring pool here draws a crowd of locals.

5. Pulau Mare

6.27 MILES

This small island south of Pulau Tidore is famed for its attractive, simple pottery. Speedboats to Pulau Mare can be chartered in Seli (100,000Rp).

6. Pulau Maitara

7.42 MILES

A three-minute speedboat hop from Rum, Pulau Maitara's clear waters are fine for snorkelling and swimming but watch out for the numerous sea urchins.

7. Benteng Kalamata

8.96 MILES

The 1540 Benteng Kalamata is dramatically situated on the waterfront 1km southwest of Bastiong, staring down Ternate's old foe, Tidore. You can wander the…

8. Majolica Ulama Indonesia

10.04 MILES

It's hardly the Hagia Sophia, and the seaward minarets have been reclaimed by the sea (only the crumbled footings remain), but this concrete-and-tile…