Syekh Mahmud is estimated to have lived in the 7th century AD. At that time, Barus, directly opposite the Indian Ocean, became a stopover centre for international shipping. Barus is known to the world as a lime-producing area. Merchants from Arabia, Yemen, Jordan, the Indies, and Persia did a lot of spice and camphor business in the area. Barus was also the first place the scholars of the caliphate stepped on to spread Islam’s teachings. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are Islamic tombs in Barus. In addition to the tomb of Syekh Mahmud, in the Papan Tinggi Tomb, on a hill in the Barus area, in the village of Dakka, more than 200 tombs were found.
The location of the Barus area with the city of Medan is about 290 kilometres. The journey from Medan to Barus takes about 7 hours by land. Meanwhile, it takes 2 hours from Sibolga City. Barus holds a lot of history and is a religious tourist attraction.
Information about the old city is still minimal because people do not know Barus in depth. However, as the early area of Islamic civilization in the archipelago, Barus kept many historical objects such as currencies, jewellery, inscriptions, etc. Moreover, the tombs of the bearers of Islamic teachings in the archipelago in the 7th century AD are no less important. Barus’s tombs include Sheikh Mahmud, Sheikh Rukunuddin, Sheikh Mahdun, Sheikh Ibrahim Shah, Sheikh Badan Batu, and the tomb of Mr Ambar.
Barus became a destination for merchants because it was famous for its forest products such as camphor, gold, and frankincense. In addition, through Hamzah Fansuri, Barus’ name was known as Pancur or in Arabic Fansur. Barus is an ancient city that has been famous since the 6th century AD in Asia, as Claude Guillot mentioned in his book Barus A Thousand Years Ago. Furthermore, President Joko Widodo, on Friday, March 24, 2017, determined that Barus was the zero point of the centre of Islamic civilization in the archipelago.
Syekh Mahmud’s Tomb as a Religious Tourism Object
The tomb of Sheikh Papan Tinggi is not only visited by Muslim tourists but also non-Muslims. The purpose of the tourists is for pilgrimage and vacation. The tomb is at an altitude of 200 meters above sea level and on a hill with a slope of 45 degrees.