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Baileo
HISTORY & CULTURESintermediate
Definition
The traditional communal meeting house of the indigenous Alifuru communities of Maluku (the Moluccas), used for village assemblies, ceremonies, and the storage of sacred objects. The baileo is an open-sided raised pavilion — its lack of walls symbolising the transparency and openness of customary governance. It is oriented to face the village square and is the most sacred secular building in a Maluku village, constructed and maintained by the whole community.
Example
The baileo of Booi village on Saparua Island in Maluku is a classic example — an open rectangular pavilion raised on posts, with a thatched roof and no walls, positioned at the centre of the village facing the namalatu (meeting ground) where community decisions are made.