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Friday, May 29, 2015

Jakarta Trip Day 3: Kota Tua and Monas















Kota, or known in Indonesian as Kota Tua or Kota Tua Jakarta ("Jakarta Old Town"), is a neighborhood comprising the original downtown area of JakartaIndonesia. It is also known as Old Jakarta, and Old Batavia (DutchOud Batavia). It spans 1.3 square kilometres within North Jakarta and West Jakarta (Kelurahan Pinangsia, Taman Sari and Kelurahan Roa Malaka, Tambora). The largely Chinese downtown area of Glodok is a part of Kota Tua.





Kota Tua is a remainder of Oud Batavia, the first walled settlement of the Dutch in Jakarta area. The area gained importance during the 17th-19th century when it was established as the de facto capital of the Dutch East Indies. This inner walled city contrasted with the surrounding kampung (villages), orchards, and rice fields. Dubbed "The Jewel of Asia" and "Queen of the East" in the 16th century by European sailors, the area was a center of commerce due to its strategic location within the spice trade industry in the archipelago.















The National Monument (Indonesian: Monumen Nasional, abbreviated Monas) is a 132 m (433ft) tower in the centre of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence.
Construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Sukarno. Monas was opened to the public in 1975. It is topped by a flame covered with gold foil. The monument and the museum are open daily from 08.00 - 15.00 Western Indonesia Time (UTC+7) throughout the week except for the last Monday of each month when the monument is closed.




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