The Portuguese ship Flor de la Mar (Mawar Lautan) ran aground in Indonesian waters near the Malacca Strait. Until now the ship's shipwreck is still mysterious. The ship, in its belly carrying the treasure, became an international treasure hunter.

A team of young researchers from the University of Indonesia (UI) is now trying to trace the footsteps of Flor de la Mar . On Friday (20/11) they presented the initial results of the document's research in the National Seminar of Archeology at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UI.

Yudi Bachrioktora, a member of the young research team, said Flor de la Mar is known to have sunk in an area known as the Diamond Point, the Malacca Strait. Or in Indonesia known as Tanjung Jamboair.

"It is thus valid that the ship is sinking in Indonesian waters," he said. Previously the ship was allegedly sinking in the waters of Malaysia.

Flor de la Mar sank in December 1511 while en route to Goa, India. The ship's captain was a famous sailor from the Portuguese Alfonso de Albequerque. Alfonso was the first Portuguese and European to master the Straits of Malacca in favor of the Portuguese.

Yudi said the shipwreck after passing through the territory of Haru Kingdom (Aru) on the east coast of Sumatra. The kingdom of Haru and Malacca is a major rival in terms of international trade and ships from the west and east.

Where is the exact location of the shipwreck of Flor de la Mar? Yudi said the ship has not been found physical shipwreck.

As quotedBetween last July, UI archaeologist Ali Akbar declared Indonesian Maritime Archeology Expedition is designed to map the locations of shipwrecks throughout Indonesia. According to him, the location of Indonesia which became the sea crossing since long ago not all successful navigable for various reasons.

"There are quite a few sinking vessels such as the Portuguese, Dutch and Chinese vessels from the 1500-1800 period, estimated at 400 ships that sank in Indonesian waters, reaching a larger number if calculated as well as before and after," he said.

According to Ali Akbar, for the initial phase, it will coordinate with various relevant agencies and local governments. Furthermore, the waters will be divided into several survey areas.

"The area to be surveyed first is around the northern island of Sumatra that is also targeting the shipload of suspected shipwrecked in the region.The Malacca Strait has always been one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world One of the most hunted vessels of hunters the treasure on a sunken ship is Flor de la Mar or Flower of the Sea , "he said.

Flor de la Mar is the most sought after vessel because at the time of drowning in 1511 it contained the treasures that the Portuguese brought after conquering the Kingdom of Malacca. At the time of sailing to Portugal, the ship is expected to be hit by a storm around Aceh and has since never been traced back to its existence.