Batak Karo People (Dokan)

The village of Dokan, located in the Karo highlands of North Sumatra, is one of the most authentic traditional villages of the Batak Karo people. Unlike other sites that function as museums, Dokan is a living village where families still reside in centuries-old communal houses, preserving an ancestral way of life.

Dokan is notable for its longhouses, or Si Waluh Jabu, wooden structures with thatched roofs that can house up to eight families simultaneously. The houses are raised on wooden stilts for protection from animals and dampness. The interior lacks permanent walls; each family has its own kitchen space with wood-burning stoves, sleeping areas on mats, and overhead storage areas. The roofs are often crowned with buffalo heads (a symbol of status and power), and the side walls feature gecko motifs.