What kind of thing do you usually use to repel insects or remove musty smell in your wardrobe or toilet? Most of us use camphor as a solution and commonly used by the Indonesians has a big contribution in shaping the history of Indonesian civilization.

Camphor is a kind of spice, found in the trunk of the Cinnamomum Camphora tree. Has been known since ancient time, this spice exists within the notes of the world’s travelers. In his geographical work, Ptolemaeus wrote a fragrance that came from five islands called “Barousai”, which the experts link to Barus, an area in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra.

Camphor raised its native land popularity and reached Europe through the trades. The spice had been familiar to the traders from Arab, Egypt, and the Middle East since the XVII century. The Barus camphor was used for medical purposes, seasoning, beauty, and ritual purposes. By dint of its benefits, traders from various nations came to Barus, North Sumatra only to find the spice.

Not only producing the world-famed spice, but Barus also became one of the entries to the Islam religion in the west part of Nusantara. Let’s find out the brief story of camphor in the video above!