Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 21 m. The population was approximately 260,000 in 2006. The city name first was named as Kutaraja, determined as the provincial capital in 1956. Later its name was changed into Banda Aceh, where the first part of its name comes from the Persian bandar (بندر) and means "port" or "haven". It is also proudly referred to as the "port to Meccah", as Islam first arrived in Aceh and spread throughout Southeast Asia. On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter. It was the worst hit area out of all the locations hit. Tens of thousands of people died and many more were injured.