“Preserving heirlooms is not only about culture; it also has significant potential to stimulate local economies,” Head of the NTB Museum Ahmad Nuralam said here on Saturday.
Nuralam noted that many historical objects remain poorly maintained, putting them at risk of damage or loss.
Education, he said, is crucial to enabling communities to carry out basic, independent care for heritage objects.
Through its program, the NTB Museum encourages communities to collectively inventory and preserve heirlooms as part of strengthening village cultural identity.
“We encourage villages to establish museums that can house artifacts and heirlooms. Village museums also provide NTB with alternative, culture‑based tourism,” Nuralam explained.
On April 29, 2026, the museum held an outreach session on artifact care in Barabali Village, Batukliang Sub‑district, Central Lombok.
The village, categorized as extremely poor, is part of the provincial Empowered Village Program, which aims to alleviate poverty while promoting economic independence through initiatives such as tourism villages, food security, and healthy villages.
Nuralam encouraged Barabali to establish a village museum that would serve not only as a repository for artifacts but also as a cultural destination fostering identity, education, and economic activity.
“Artifacts preserved in village museums can be packaged into historical tourism narratives,” he said, adding that such museums could generate derivative economic activities including tour services, handicrafts, culinary products, and creative industries.
Barabali Village Head Salbi welcomed the initiative, saying it would help the community manage its cultural potential. Batukliang Sub‑district Head Lalu Sudirman echoed the sentiment, noting that many local artifacts still require attention and preservation support from the government.
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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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