Gorga Batak on Church of St. Fransiskus Asisi

If you are driving from Medan to Berastagi, do not only passing by this place.. Take a moment in front of the church, I mean Church of St. Fransiscus Asisi. This is the first bulding which has traditional design I found in Medan area. It’s on the right side from Medan, in Jl. Raya Medan-Berastagi, Kabanjahe, about 30 minutes from Medan. Church of St. Fransiskus Asisi, of course, is not Rumah Batak. But as public building, it has been built steady by the combination of traditional and modern construction. Design of this building is very similar to traditional house of Batak.

Look at the upper wall and roof, it has full of engraving along the wall. Gorga Batak. Gorga is mean engraving or chisel and really full of meaning. Gorga only has three colour, black, white, and red. They are called the three bolit. All of the ornament has specific theme. Gorga Ipon-ipon is designed along the wall in some centimeters, Gorga Jorgom above of main door, Gorga Ulu Paung as symbol of pride of the building, and much more style and meaning of Gorga. And all of Gorga in this building, of course, was designed for exceptional and sustainable the function of building.