The people of Sumba have a unique and very strong and original culture. Until now they were able to maintain it in the midst of the influx of foreign influences, that have entered long ago.

The distinctive belief in the form of Marapu, still lives in the midst of the people of Sumba. Marapu became the basic philosophy for various cultural expressions of Sumba, ranging from traditional ceremonies, houses of worship, traditional houses and decorative ornaments of carvings and textiles to the manufacture of clothing such as fabrics for jewellery. Even today the unique Traditional Sumba Marriage is part of Sumba ritual.