Tongkonan

Tongkonan
Alternative namesRumah Adat Tongkonan
General information
StatusResidences
TypeTraditional House
Architectural styleIndonesian
Town or cityTana Toraja (South Sulawesi)
CountryIndonesia
OwnerTorajan

Tongkonan is the traditional ancestral house, or rumah adat, of the Torajan people in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Tongkonan has a distinguishing boat-shaped and oversized saddleback roof. Like most of the Indonesia's Austronesian-based traditional architecture, tongkonan is built on piles. Its construction is a laborious task, and it is usually built with the help of all family members or friends. In the original Toraja society, only nobles had the right to build tongkonan. Commoners live in smaller and less decorated homes called banua.