Jakarta, Once Upon A Time in the Old Days.

Old Map of Batavia, Old City or Kota Tua Jakarta Today.

Jakarta as the capital of the country has a very interesting historical relics to visit. History of Jakarta is long, as one of the major port city in the archipelago, Jakarta has become one of the main entrance even since prehistoric times, has also been used as a major port by the Dutch in the colonial period before it became the capital of the Republic of Indonesia at the time of independence.

Batavia is a former name of Jakarta where sit the capital city of the Dutch East Indies. As the center of the colonization in the East Indies during the period of 1610 to 1949, Batavia had witnessed the progression of area occupied extending inland ward from Northern Jakarta toward Central Jakarta.

From  a wooden warehouse and small settlement in the east bank of the mouth of the Ciliwung river in 1610, currently in North Jakarta, following a treaty signed by the Prince of Jayakarta and the VOC (the Dutch East Indies Company) representatives, the City of Batavia began developing along the banks of the Ciliwung river - the east and the west bank.

The Ex-Palace of Governor General, across Lapangan Banteng to the east.

Toward the end of the 1700s, the old city of Batavia became an unhealthy place to live and then in 1808, Governor-General Herman Willem Daendles moved the center of government to Weltervreden.Daendels' decided on March 7, 1809 to build a new palace for governor generals at Weltevreden, now in Central jakarta. The site would also be used for the construction of a new city center of Batavia to replace the walled city, now deteriorated, overcrowded and suffering from bad sanitation. 

The progression of Batavia as the city center across centuries had left many historical buildings and sites in Jakarta today as the legacy of  western colonization in Indonesia. The buildings and sites worth of visiting are as follows: 

 Northern Jakarta

• Sunda Kelapa Harbour;
• Menara Syahbandar;
•  Pasar Ikan; 
• Mesjid Luar Batang
• VOC Shipyards;
• Jembatan Kota Intan;
• Toko Merah;
• Ancol;
• Ereveld;
• Makam Kapiten Jonker;
• Rumah Si Pitung;
• Mesjid Al-Alam Marunda ;
•  Gereja Tugu;

Central Jakarta  

• Kota Tua;
• Café Batavia; 
•  Museum Seni Rupa dan Keramik;
• Museum Fatahillah;
• Museum Wayang;
• Stasiun Kota;
• Gereja Sion;
•  Mesjid Jami Angke;
• Vihara Dharma Karya Ansapura;
• Mesjid Jami Annawir
• Gedung Kesenian Jakarta;
• Gedung Arsip Nasional;
• Lapangan Banteng;
• Gedung Pancasila;
• Gedung Departemen Keuangan;
•  Gedung Kimia Farma
• Ragusa Ice Cream Palace;
• Gedung Mahkamah Agung;
• Museum Nasional;
• Istana Negara
• Istana Merdeka;
• Geredja Katolik;
•  Gereja Inggris;
• Menteng;
• Historic Houses of Menteng;
• Menteng Pulo;

Source: The Jakarta Explorer, Cultural Tours In and Around the City by Indonesia Heritage Society