Palopo or Kota Palopo (Palopo city) is a city located in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the second-largest city in the province. Until it acquired its city autonomy on 10 April 2002, Palopo was the capital of Luwu Regency. The land area of the city is 273.23 km2, and it had a population of 148,033 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 184,681 at the 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. comprising 92,444 males and 92,237 females. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 190,867 (comprising 95,562 males and 95,305 females),Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, Kota Palopo Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7373) but the mid 2025 official estimate showed a sizeable return to 184,961 (comprising 92,653 males and 92,308 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kota Palopo Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7373)
History
Palopo was founded c. 1620, probably under the second Muslim ruler of Luwu Kingdom, Sultan Abdullah Muhiddin, who is buried at Malangke, the former palace centre of Luwu. His momental grave, which was carved with Majapahit-style floral decorations, was destroyed by Kahar Muzakkar rebels in the 1950s: nothing today remains except the location.Van Lijf, J.M. 1953. 'Korte mededelingen.' Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 109:379-81. The advantage of Palopo over the former palace centre was the potential for trade with the Toraja-speaking Seko-Rongkong valleys. The town sits at the foot of a steep, winding pass which leads into the highland regions. In the late 19th century this trade consisted primarily of coffee and slaves.Braam Morris, D.F. van. 1889. 'Het landschap Loewoe.' Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 32: 497-555; Zerner, C. 1981. 'Signs of the spirits, signature of the smith: Iron forging in Tana Toraja.' Indonesia 31: 89-112 Gold panned from upland rivers may also have been an attraction. Dammar was an important export in the later period.Caldwell, I. 1994. ‘Report on fieldwork.' Baruga 10:16-18.
Little is known of Palopo before the Dutch annexation of South Sulawesi in 1905. The only Western visitor to have left an account of the town was James Brooke (later Rajah of Sarawak), who described it in the 1830s as 'a miserable town, consisting of about 300 houses, scattered and dilapidated'.Brooke, J. 1848. Narrative of events in Borneo and Celebes down to the occupation of Labuan. From the Journals of James Brooke, Esq. Rajah of Sarawak and Governor of Labuan [. . .] by Captain Rodney Mundy. London: John Murray It is the location of the Palopo Old Mosque, South Sulawesi's oldest mosque. Built from blocks of white coral, with a three-tiered roof representing the ancient Austronesian cosmos, the Mesjid Jami' is said to have been built during the reign of Sultan Abdullah. It has a 19th-century dedicatory inscription behind one of its doors, presumably reflecting a restoration. The royal graveyard lies to the north at Lokkoe and contains pyramidical stone mausolea in which lie the remains of Luwu's 17th to 20th-century rulers.
Administrative division Palopo City is divided into nine Districts (Kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kota Palopo Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7373) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of urban subdistricts (kelurahan) in each district, and its post code.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) Areain km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2025AdmincentreNo. of kelurahanPostcode(s) 73.73.03 Wara Selatan (South Wara)11.0410,12418,67920,734Songka491959 (a) 73.73.07 Sendana 43.255,7327,3818,226Sendana491959 (b) 73.73.01 Wara 4.4231,02431,53929,630Dangerakko691921 - 91923 73.73.05 Wara Timur (East Wara)6.0930,99738,34438,217Malatunrung791921 73.73.08 Mungkajang 37.896,98110,0629,965Mungkajang491924 - 91925 73.73.02 Wara Utara (North Wara)5.5919,01120,64520,079Salubulo691911 - 91914 73.73.09 Bara 22.9822,95930,66029,770Temmalebba5 91914 73.73.04 Telluwanua 40.3311,70115,88717,231Maroangin791958 73.73.06 Wara Barat (West Wara)101.649,40311,48411,109Tomarundung5 91921 (c) Totals 273.23148,033184,681184,961 48
Notes: (a) except for the kelurahan of Takkalala, which has a post code of 91926. (b) except for the kelurahan of Mawa, which has a post code of 91925. (c) except for the kelurahan of Battang, which has a post code of 91958.
Climate Palopo has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.
References