Old Jakarta, also known as Batavia Lama (Oud Batavia), is a small area in Jakarta, Indonesia. This special district covers an area of 1.3 square kilometers, spanning across North Jakarta and West Jakarta (Pinangsia, Taman Sari, and Roa Malaka).
Dubbed as the "Gem of Asia" and the "Queen of the East" by European sailors in the 16th century, Old Jakarta was considered a significant trading center in Asia due to its strategic location and abundant resources. In 1526, a figure named Fatahillah, sent by the Demak Sultanate, attacked the Sunda Kelapa harbor in the Hindu kingdom of Pajajaran and later named it Jayakarta. The city covered an area of only 15 hectares and had a traditional Javanese port city layout. In 1619, the VOC (Dutch East India Company) destroyed Jayakarta under the command of Jan Pieterszoon Coen and established a new city named Batavia, in honor of the Batavians, the ancestors of the Dutch nation. The city of Batavia was built around the eastern banks of the Ciliwung River, which is now known as Fatahillah Square.
The inhabitants of Batavia were called "Batavianen," later known as the "Betawi" ethnic group, consisting of creole descendants from various ethnic backgrounds residing in Batavia.
By 1635, the city expanded to the western banks of the Ciliwung River, encompassing the ruins of the former Jayakarta. The city was designed with European Dutch architecture, complete with a fortress (Kasteel Batavia), city walls, and canals. These canals divided the city into several blocks. Batavia was completed in 1650 and subsequently became the VOC's headquarters in the Dutch East Indies.
Over time, the city faced various changes and challenges. Due to frequent tropical disease outbreaks caused by poor sanitation, some canals were filled in and the city walls were dismantled. In 1835 and 1870, these epidemics led many people to leave the cramped city and migrate to the Weltevreden area (now around Merdeka Square). This led to the development and expansion of Batavia towards the south.
During the Japanese occupation in 1942, Batavia was renamed Jakarta and has since remained the capital of Indonesia.
In 1972, the Governor of Jakarta, Ali Sadikin, issued a decree officially designating Kota Tua as a heritage site. Although this decision aimed to preserve the city's valuable historical architecture or at least the remaining buildings, in reality, many historic buildings in Kota Tua remain neglected and poorly maintained. Despite the warm welcome from many residents towards the Governor's decree, significant steps to protect the historical heritage in Kota Tua seem to have not been adequately taken until now.
(Source Wikipidia )
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