Spatial Historical Evolution of Urban Tosora Cultural Heritage

Between the 15th and the 20th centuries, Tosora was a small city in the Wajo Kingdom. During its development, Tosora became the centre of global trade of the Bugis civilisation and produced several artefacts of potential cultural heritage value which were damaged during the war with the Dutch in the 20th century. These artefacts, which include Islamic architecture, urban infrastructure, and graves of important personages of the Wayo Kingdom, risk disappearing if they are not properly managed. This study aims to map both the physical and non-physical historical products of Tosora for their spatial realisation to aid the effort to promote tourism. We mapped the physical development of the area, especially elements of its cultural heritage and activities, to reveal historical facts about the Wajo Kingdom. We used a qualitative approach based on several methods, from GIS-based spatial analysis for connecting activities to synchronic and diachronic reading techniques for analysing elements of urban morphology to study Tosora’s development. The study found that the spatial evolution of urban Tosora was related to its historical process since the 15th century and was based on non-physical forces that influenced the physical urban form of the city. The shift of the government centre from Wajo-Wajo to Tosora in the 17th century and later to Sengkang in the 20th century was dominated by social, economic, political and cultural factors. The Wajo Kingdom’s end is reflected in the decline in Tosora’s functions and roles.