The capital of Indonesia is more often than not a transit point on the way to beach resorts and diving sites, but tourists interested in the history and exoticism of Southeast Asia have plenty to do and see here. In Jakarta, religions, cultures and national cuisines intersect. The city is full of colonial charm, which is more and more confidently replaced by the advancing modernity with mirrored windows of shopping centers, glass indifference of skyscrapers and many kilometers of traffic jams, from the embrace of which only happy owners of mopeds can quickly slip out. Museums and national parks, ancient temples and architectural monuments of a distant era, when Indonesia was called "the pearl in the crown of the Dutch colonial empire", await you.
TOP 10 attractions in Jakarta
Medan Merdeka
The main square of the Indonesian capital ranks among the largest in the world. Its history began at the end of the 18th century, when the administration of the Dutch East Indies moved to the new part of Jakarta. A huge square appeared in front of the constructed administrative buildings. Initially it was called Buffolsveld, then - the Champ de Mars in the French manner, Royal - due to the construction of the palace of the governor-general on the square, and, finally, in 1949, after reconstruction, it was renamed into Liberty Square. In Indonesian it sounds like "Medan Merdeka".
Four roads diverging from the National Monument in the center of the square divide it into equal parts, parks:
- In the North Park, you can see a monument to Prince Diponegoro, who led the uprising against the colonialists, and a bust of the Indonesian poet Chairil Anwar.
- A reflective lake and a statue symbolizing the struggle for the equal rights of women in Indonesia are located in the East Park.
- The 33 rare plant species planted in South Park are reminiscent of the country's administrative structure - 31 provinces and two special districts. Souvenirs are sold at the gates of South Park, and axis deer can be found on its lawns.
- In the West Park, fountains work on the square, illuminated in the evenings.
The square is overlooked by the facades of the Merdeka Palace, Gambir Station, the National Gallery of Indonesia and many other administrative buildings.
National Monument of Independence
President Ahmed Sukarno took part in the laying of another architectural landmark in Jakarta - a monument dedicated to the liberation from colonial rule. In 1961, the construction of an obelisk with an observation deck began, and two years later the monument was solemnly opened. Later, under the National Monument of Independence, a museum appeared, where fifty dioramas were decorated, showing guests the most important moments of the country's history.
The observation deck is located at a height of 115 meters, and the entire obelisk soars into the sky at 132 meters. At its top, there is a sculptural image of a blazing fire, symbolizing the struggle against the colonialists. The weight of the gold used to cover the Flame of Independence was 33 kg. Inside the sculpture there are elevator mechanisms that lift visitors to the obelisk.
Istiklal Mosque
The main mosque of the largest Muslim state on the planet was built in the 60-70s. last century to commemorate independence from the Dutch colonialists and in gratitude for the mercy of the Almighty. Its name is translated from Arabic as "independence". Planning and construction were overseen by Indonesian President Sukarno, who personally laid the foundation stone of the mosque in 1961 and opened it in 1978. Interestingly, a Christian architect won the design competition.
The construction is still the largest mosque in the region. Up to 120 thousand people can attend prayer at the same time. The building is covered with a spherical dome of 45 meters in diameter. The height of the minaret is almost 97 m.
The interiors of the mosque are very austere. The only decoration material for the author of the project was aluminum. A few details of the decor are made of it, some of which are covered with Arabic script with the suras of the Koran.
Jinge Yuan Temple
The oldest Buddhist temple in the capital of the country is known to believers as a sanctuary dedicated to the two most important concepts of this religion - dharma and bhakti. The first term means a collection of rules that maintain cosmic order, and the second - service to God without pursuing any kind of self-interest.
Jinge Yuan was built in the middle of the 18th century. on the site of the destroyed earlier temple. Translated from Chinese, the name of the monastery meant "golden wisdom". All the years of its existence, the temple remained active.
Of interest to tourists is the typical architecture of the building, built in full accordance with the principles of Buddhism. The roof is decorated with statues of dragons, the silver scales of which are effectively shaded with red tiles.
Wisma 46
The famous skyscraper in Jakarta, Wisma 46 is ranked only 281st in the world among the tallest buildings, but in Indonesia it holds the record. It was built in 1996. The design of the tower was developed by Canadian architects, using the techniques of modern and postmodern architectural styles.
The height of the skyscraper together with the spire is 262 m, which is quite a bit by world standards. But it is popular with tourists due to the large number of shops and fashionable restaurants located in it. An observation deck is also open at Wisma 46, from where you can look at Jakarta from a bird's eye view.
Taman mini
Even during a long trip to Indonesia, you will hardly be able to see all its beauty, because the territory of the country is huge, and the number of nationalities inhabiting it is numbered in dozens. In order to facilitate the task of curious tourists, a park "Mini Indonesia" has been created in Jakarta, where all the provinces and peoples inhabiting them are represented. The pavilions, where the Indonesian regions are located, are real dwellings in which for centuries indigenous Indonesians are born, create families, work, raise children and do much more.
In Mini Indonesia you will find miniature replicas of the region's most famous architectural landmarks. A theater is open here, where performances on the theme "My home country" are regularly held. The expositions of numerous museums will help the tourist to get acquainted with the history of Indonesia, to look at the representatives of its flora and fauna, to learn more about the life and traditions of the inhabitants.
National Gallery
You won't find famous Flemish or Impressionist masterpieces in the Indonesian art gallery in the capital, but a visit to the Fine Arts Museum is definitely worth a visit. The halls display more than a thousand works of famous artists of Indonesia, who painted their paintings at different times and tried to reflect the turbulent history of the country, its formation and development. In the works of local craftsmen, the splendor of Indonesian nature is presented, the role of the sea in the life of the inhabitants of the islands is shown, the most important historical, cultural and emotional moments are captured.
The world-famous painter Affandi has received wide recognition not only at home, but also abroad. He painted not only landscapes in the style of expressionism, but also painted scenes in oils for the theater of shadows. Affandi's own style of writing technique is recognized today all over the world: the master painted pictures by squeezing paint from a tube directly onto the canvas.
Surprisingly enough, the museum also exhibits works by Europeans: Wassily Kandinsky, Sonya Delaunay and Victor Vasarely.
Wayang Museum
Shadow theater on the island of Java in Indonesia is one of the oldest forms of national art. Special puppets take part in the performances of the theater called Wayang. A museum dedicated to Javanese puppetry opened in Jakarta in 1975.
The collection presents various Wayang dolls used in performances not only in Javanese theaters, but also donated to the museum by colleagues from Malaysia, Thailand, France, Suriname, Cambodia and India.
The exhibits are displayed in a building built on the site of an old Dutch church from 1640, destroyed by an earthquake. The neo-Renaissance museum mansion was originally used as a warehouse, but was later renovated in the style of the Dutch colonial architecture.
Maritime museum
One of the last surviving sailing fleets in the world is now docked in the old port of Sunda Kelapa in Jakarta. Every day hundreds of visitors come to look at sailing ships and other unique exhibits of the Maritime Museum of the capital of Indonesia.
The museum was opened in the former warehouses of the Dutch East India Company. The exposition is dedicated to the history of navigation in Indonesia and the importance of the sea for the country's economy and for the life of its population.
The collection of the famous sailing schooners "Pinisi" is not the only property of the museum. At the stands you can see models of ships and naval guns, shipbuilding tools and devices, maps - old and modern Indonesian Navy.
The premises of the museum are also of interest. The warehouses were built between 1652 and 1771. Previously, they kept stocks of spices, coffee, tea and fabrics intended for shipment to European ports.
Historical Museum
In the old part of Jakarta, in a colonial mansion built in 1710 for the city government, there is a museum exposition, which displays unique artifacts and evidence of the most important historical events in the life of the state. The collection of exhibits at the Historical Museum covers the period from the prehistoric era to the declaration of independence in 1949.
In the XVIII century. the mansion housed the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, and then the colonial administration sat. Now, in the 37 halls of the museum, there are thousands of valuable exhibits: evidence of the existence of prehistoric settlements on the islands of Indonesia - stone tools, ancient weapons and metal jewelry; historical maps and ceramics recovered from the seabed from sunken ships; the richest collection of furniture from the colonial era.
