Stretching around the “heart” of the island of Sulawesi, Luwu like a forgotten country. Long and fascinating history as lost without trace. Although the full history of the legendary, ironic is the right word to describe the condition or state of this region. In fact, not a bit of historians from both domestic and foreign states that once stood here in Sulawesi’s oldest monarchy, the Kingdom of Luwu. There are also saying that this kingdom emerged in the 8th century or the same age as the kingdom of Sriwijaya in South Sumatra.

In the era of Dutch colonialism in Sulawesi, Luwu did not fail to master. In this period, Luwu carrying any resistance-resistance. Luwu movement figures, among others: the army commanders who, together with Andi Tadda laskarnya in Ponjalae, Palopo coast in 1905 and Andi Jemma in April 1950 confirmed again kedudukaunya as Datu / Warrior Luwu. For his jasannya against the Indonesian independence struggle, Andi Jemma was awarded the Star Guerilla by President Soekarno, the first president in the republic.

In 1961, the central government. Luwu serve as the regional level II, which has 16 districts in its territory. Then, in about the year 1999, precisely on February 10, 1999, Luwu again separated into the Regency of North and East Luwu and Palopo into town admistratif

Land of buried treasure in East Luwu
Before the year 1968, Luwu area may only be filled with a thick forest area and inhabited by a cluster of lofty mountains Verbeek who stood to protect the region. But, later Luwu began to change with the activity of nickel mining company, PT. Inco which started operations in Malili. From Malili, the company later moved to Sorowako and concentrate their activities there until now.

Mineral mining activities brought drastic changes in Eastern Luwu. Areas that had been silent, now turned into a crowd. This region is like a magnetic field and began a visit by the miners, not only from Sulawesi or the archipelago, but also from across the world.

Sorowako face would be changed. Like the township, Sorowako has complete infrastructure and very good. Smooth asphalt road, electricity, telephone hiugga owned by the city’s airport. Most of these facilities was made for the interests of mining companies. However, society can enjoy the original. What is believed by experts of history about the existence of Luwu it still contains the debate. The problem is the belief that only depart from an ancient literary texts I La Galigo is believed to be the “books” that tell the history of the origins of people of Sulawesi.

The kingdom was centered in a town on the shores of the calm Gulf of Bone. From his palace, the king control the region of Toraja Land, Kolaka who now entered the region of Southeast Sulawesi and Poso in Central Sulawesi, who was then a territory. However, apart from that, some evidence of past glory can still be found today, although some of the relics was no longer in its natural state. One of the Luwu royal relics that still remains is the complex Kedatuan (royal) Luwu standing in a tiny town on the banks of the Gulf of Bone. ie Palopo.

Along with the emergence of other kingdoms in the earth’s Sulawesi island in about the year 1500 and 1530 kingdom triumph Luwu began to dim. In 1509, Bone Luwu indeed been attacked, but failed. Dewaraja fact, the king Luwu almost killed. Finally Luwu was successfully controlled by Bone, Luwu collapsed. Even so, the kingdom Luwu still praised and respected by the other kingdoms in South Sulawesi.

Fall Luwu, helped bring the winds of change in terms of public trust Luwu. The influence of Islam that had previously been growing rapidly in Makassar, go spread to the north of Makassar, including Luwu. One legacy that we can see is an old mosque which is now located in the heart of Palopo. This mosque was the one who became one of the important witnesses the advent of Islam in the region Luwu.