Jakarta Old Town Tour: Tracing the Ancestor

Jakarta Old Town: A cat running in front of Fatahillah Museum in Jakarta Old Town

Old Town is one area in Jakarta city which is a well-known historical tourist destination in the capital. This Old Town tour can give you a variety of historical value as well as the story behind the stands majestically Indonesia's capital city now.

In addition, the Old City could also be an attractive tourist destination to be used as a background image or photo hunting, as vintage or old-fashioned feel of the Dutch era that was there. No wonder the Old Town is often used as a backdrop for a photo session, wedding or yearbook photos.

Did you know that the Old City is one of the forerunner to the establishment of Jakarta you know now. In addition to the Old Town, the port of Sunda also be the beginning of Indonesia's capital city. Regions which stands on an area of ​​139 hectares is dominated by a variety of buildings with European and Chinese architecture that originated from the 17th century until the 20th century. Here, you can admire the architectural works of Dutch colonial buildings that still stands proudly until now.

Beginning of the story of the Old Town is an area established by the Dutch with the name of the City of Batavia. Batavia city stands on the territory named Jayakarta (now Jakarta) from 1527 until 1619. The city later became a Dutch colonial choice because of its location near the port of Banten Sultanate predictably named port of Sunda Kelapa.

Batavia city was later dubbed as "The Pearl of the East" or who have a sense of "Pearl of the East" by James Cook, a famous explorer from England. He is fascinated with views of the city that owns the building and the layout resembles a beautiful city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. And indeed, the Dutch used to plan the City of Batavia as a copy of the Dutch capital.

Jayakarta were then attacked by the Dutch East India Company in 1620, renamed to Batavia and set the city center in the Old Town area.

From there, once VOC control all activities, such as political activities, military and trade. Batavia city area also expanded to 846 hectares from 139 hectares. This area includes the city of Batavia Sunda Kelapa Harbor, Glodok Chinatown and Fish Market, but the city center itself is still in the area of ​​the City Hall building and the Museum Fatahillah.

It was only after the Japanese came and conquered Indonesia, Batavia name was changed to the city until now.