Mount Gamalama is one of the volcanoes in North Maluku province. In addition to this mountain, there’s Mount Gamkonora in West Halmahera District, Mountain and Mount Dakona Mother residing in North Halmahera, and Mount Kiebesi in South Halmahera. Gamalama mountain itself is located on the island of Ternate and has a height of about 1715 m asl (above sea level).

Mount Gamalama, which is also often referred to as the peak of Ternate, is a stratovolkano, the high volcanoes and conical, composed of lava and volcanic ash that hardened. Mount a diameter of 11 km, has a crater lake and double crater. Mount Gamalama, also one of the volcanoes in Indonesia are still active. As written in www.geocities.com, since the year 1538 AD to the present, has been spitting out lava of Mount Gamalama more than 70 times. Six of them, causing natural disasters, ie in the year 1771-1772, which killed about 30 people, about 1,300 people are killed by the storm surge that caused the eruption in the year 1775, and the eruption in 1962 killed about five people. Last time, the mountain spewed the contents of his stomach in 2003, but no casualties.

In Ternate society itself, there is a ritual around Mount Gamalama. In a ritual called Kololi Kie, communities surrounding Mount Gamalama, as he prayed a prayer to invoke the safety and welfare of the people of Ternate. In addition, Kololi Kie is also a memorial to the ancestors of Ternate. Kololi Kie itself, held once a year, every April.

By the local community, Mount Gamalama believed to have a lot of sacred values. No wonder so many myths in circulation, and further strengthening the sanctity of this mountain. For instance, local people always suggest on a team that plans to climb Mount Gamalama in order to have an even number of members. Before climbing too, as much as possible to pray, so as not to experience obstacles on the way.