crucial matter in the Acehnese culture. The house owner engages a traditional carpenter in the particular month thought to be the most auspicious to begin construction. Several rituals are carried out during the construction process: first when the posts and beams are erected, second when the main house building is constructed, and third after the construction is completed. The first ceremony is the sprinkling of raw materials such as uncooked rice and water at the site, completed with a small meal. The second ceremony is a ceremonial meal for the assistants of the carpenter, usually fifteen in number. The third and last ceremony is a big ceremonial feast served for as many people as the owner wants to invite. Acehnese people use traditional units for the house construction. The primary units are the (finger), (width of the back of the hand), and hah (cubit). Secondary units are the (distance between the spread-out thumb and middle finger), (length of the whole arm), and (fathom). Decline Unlike the traditional houses of the Balinese, the Rumoh Aceh is on the verge of extinction due to lack of the good timber required for their construction and their impracticality for modern lifestyle. The most reasonable reason is perhaps an interest in change: people living in traditional houses are associated with poverty, compared to the seemingly higher status of modern people living in modern houses. Several Acehnese architects have attempted to modernize the traditional architecture of Aceh. One attempt is to replicate the roof canopy of the Cakra Donya bell (an ancient relic in Aceh) into the auditorium of the State Museum of Aceh. This reinterpretation of the Cakra Donya roof was completed by Wim Sutrisno, a local architect. The Cakra Donya roof style has become popular in Aceh and can be found decorating the gates to hotels or bus shelter roofs. The gable roof has also been reinterpreted in many buildings, often with double gable screens, complete with a protruding wooden screen. See also Rumah adat Aceh Museum Architecture of Sumatra Taman Mini Indonesia Indah References Notes Cited works Buildings and structures in Aceh Culture of Aceh House types Rumah adat Vernacular architecture