Jakarta Old Town
Encyclopedia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is also known as Old Jakarta, and Old Batavia . It spans 1.3 square kilometres of North Jakarta
North Jakarta
North Jakarta is one of the five cities of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta contains the entire coastal area within Jakarta Special District. In North Jakarta, an area at the estuary of Ciliwung river was the main port for the kingdom of Tarumanegara, which will later grows to become Jakarta....
and West Jakarta
West Jakarta
West Jakarta is a city within Jakarta Special District, Indonesia. It had a p[opulation of 2,278,825 at the 2010 Census; the administrative centre is at Puri Kembangan....
(Kelurahan Pinangsia, Taman Sari and Kelurahan Roa Malaka, Tambora
Tambora, Jakarta
Tambora is a subdistrict of West Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. Tambora Subdistrict is bounded by a railway to the west and to the north, Kali Krukut - Kali Besar canal to the east, and Duri Selatan Road to the south....
). Kota is Indonesian word for "city", it was the reminiscent of the vicinity during colonial times in 16th century that the city was only within Batavia walled compound (today Kota), while the surrounding areas was only kampung (villages), orchards, and ricefields.
Dubbed "The Jewel of Asia" and "Queen of the East" in the 16th century by European sailors, Old Jakarta — or Batavia, as it was named by the Dutch — was once a center of commerce for the whole continent due to its strategic location and abundant resources.
History
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Sultanate of Demak
The Sultanate of Demak was Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present day city of Demak. A port fief to the Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in the last quarter of the 15th century, it was influenced by Islam brought by Arab and...
, invaded Hindu Pajajaran
Sunda Kingdom
The Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...
's port of Sunda Kelapa
Sunda Kelapa
Sunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta located on the estuarine of Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" is the original name, and it was the main port of Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran. The port is situated in Penjaringan sub-district, of North Jakarta, Indonesia...
, after which he renamed it into Jayakarta. This town was only 15 hectare in size and had a typical Javanese harbour lay-out. In 1619 the VOC
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
destroyed Jayakarta under the command of Jan Pieterszoon Coen. A year later the VOC built a new town named "Batavia" to honor Batavieren, the Dutch ancestors. This city was centered around the east bank of the Ciliwung river, around present day Fatahillah Square.
Inhabitants of Batavia are called "Batavianen", later known as "Betawi" people, the creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
ethnic, the descendants of mixed various ethnicities that inhabited Batavia.
In 1635 the city expanded towards the west banks of Ciliwung, on the ruins of former Jayakarta. The city was designed in European Dutch style complete with a fortress (Kasteel Batavia), city wall, and canals. The city was arranged in several blocks separated by canals. The city of Batavia was completed in 1650. It became the headquarters of the VOC in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. The canals were filled up due to outbreaks of tropical diseases within the city walls because of poor sanitation. The city began to expand further south as epidemics in 1835 and 1870 forced more and more people to move out of the cramped city, to the Weltevreden area (now the area surrounding Merdeka Square). The city later became the administrative center of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. In 1942 during the Japanese occupation, Batavia was renamed Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, and still serves as the capital city of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
In 1972, the Governor of Jakarta, Ali Sadikin
Ali Sadikin
Ali Sadikin was an Indonesian politician. He was often called Bang Ali. He served as the governor of Jakarta, the country's capital, from 1966 to 1977. Appointed by a weak Sukarno, he likely had the full approval of Suharto. A former marine, he saw the city as a battlefield...
, issued a decree that officially made the Jakarta Kota area into a heritage site. The governor's decision was necessary in order to preserve the city's architectural roots — or at least what was left of it.
Despite the Governor's Decree, the old town remains neglected. Even though the majority was pleased just by the issuing of the decree, not enough was being done to protect and conserve the legacy from the Dutch colonial era.
Notable sites
As important settlement, urban center, and the center of commerce in Asia since 16th century, Oud Batavia is home of several important historical sites and buildings:- Luar Batang Mosque
- The Port of Sunda KelapaSunda KelapaSunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta located on the estuarine of Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" is the original name, and it was the main port of Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran. The port is situated in Penjaringan sub-district, of North Jakarta, Indonesia...
- Pasar Ikan (Fish Market)
- Maritime MuseumMaritime Museum (Indonesia)The Maritime Museum is located in the old Sunda Kelapa harbor area in Penjaringan Administrative Village, Penjaringan Subdistrict, Jakarta, Indonesia. The museum was inaugurated inside the former Dutch East India Company warehouses...
- Menara Syahbandar (Port Tower)
- Kota Intan Drawbridge
- Kali Besar (Grootegracht)
- Gereja SionGereja SionGereja Sion is a historic church located in Pinangsia Administrative District, Taman Sari, Jakarta, Indonesia...
- Wayang MuseumWayang MuseumThe Wayang Museum is a museum dedicated to Javanese wayang puppetry. The museum is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.- History :The building occupies the site of a church which was built in 1640 under the name of the Old Dutch Church . In 1732, the church was renovated and the name was changed into...
- Fatahillah SquareJakarta History MuseumThe Jakarta History Museum , also known as Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum, is located in the Old Town of Jakarta, Indonesia. The building was built in 1710 as the Stadhuis of Batavia...
- Fine Art and Ceramic MuseumFine Art and Ceramic Museum- History :The building of the Fine Art and Ceramic Museum was completed on January 12, 1870, and was used as the Court of Justice . The building was known as Paleis van Justitie. During the Japanese occupation, the building was used by KNIL and later after the independence of Indonesia, was used...
(Former Court of Justice of Batavia) - Jakarta History MuseumJakarta History MuseumThe Jakarta History Museum , also known as Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum, is located in the Old Town of Jakarta, Indonesia. The building was built in 1710 as the Stadhuis of Batavia...
(Former City Hall of Batavia) - Cafe Batavia
- Toko Merah (Red Store)
- Chartered Bank
- Bank Indonesia Museum
- Bank Mandiri Museum
- Jakarta Kota StationJakarta Kota StationJakarta Kota Station is a terminal train station, located in the old city core of Jakarta. The station was appointed as a historical and cultural landmark in 1993....
(Beos Station) - Glodok and Pinangsia Area (Jakarta Chinatown)
- Petak Sembilan
- Jin De Yuan Temple (Vihara Dharma Bhakti)
- Chandranaya Building
Nowadays, many remaining historical buildings and architecture are steadily deteriorating; at best, "dilapidated". such as; Jakarta History Museum
Jakarta History Museum
The Jakarta History Museum , also known as Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum, is located in the Old Town of Jakarta, Indonesia. The building was built in 1710 as the Stadhuis of Batavia...
(Former city hall of Batavia, the office and residence of VOC governor general), Maritime Museum of Indonesia
Maritime Museum (Indonesia)
The Maritime Museum is located in the old Sunda Kelapa harbor area in Penjaringan Administrative Village, Penjaringan Subdistrict, Jakarta, Indonesia. The museum was inaugurated inside the former Dutch East India Company warehouses...
, Sunda Kelapa harbour
Sunda Kelapa
Sunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta located on the estuarine of Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" is the original name, and it was the main port of Sunda Kingdom of Pajajaran. The port is situated in Penjaringan sub-district, of North Jakarta, Indonesia...
, and The Batavia Hotel which formerly well-known as Omni Batavia Hotel.
However, there is still much hope in restoring the area, especially with various non-profit organizations, private institutions, and even the government recently stepping up to the plate to rejuvenate Old Jakarta's legacy. In 2007, several streets surrounding Fatahillah square such as Pintu Besar street and Pos Kota street, were closed to vehicles as a first step towards the rejuvenation.