Jakarta is a city saturated with culture, stemming from Indonesia’s colourful and impressive history. The city has a heavy Dutch influence, apparent from the iconic old town district of the city that houses many important artefacts from that era. The Jakarta hotel culture also reflects this unique influence through its architecture, which is enhanced by the warm island hospitality found throughout the country. So take advantage of some excellent Jakarta hotel deals at the Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta for a truly memorable stay in the city. The Jakarta History Museum is a unique hearkening back to Jakarta’s colonial past, as it was built in 1710 as the city hall (Stadhuis in Dutch) of what was known as Batavia, which was under the reign of the Dutch colonial empire. But the museum tracks the area’s region even further back in time, as it chronicles items from the region’s prehistoric period, through the Dutch colonization and into Indonesia’s post independent state. Stadhuis boasts 37 rooms that are opulently decorated. It also features a few dungeons beneath the front portico, which once held a Javanese freedom fighter, Prince Diponegoro, who was treasonously arrested and held here in 1830 before being exiled to North Suwalesi. The museum boasts an impressive collection of around 23,000 items, some borrowed from the Wayang Museum nearby. The collection features objects from the Dutch East India Company, maps, documents, ceramics, paintings, furnishings, and a special array of items from the prehistoric era, such as ancient inscriptions and a sword museum. In addition, the museum houses the most extensive range of Betawi furnishings from the 17-19th centuries. It is a splendid record of Indonesia’s cultural and historical legacy.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday.
