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Photo: MichaelJLowe, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Along with the Negara Palace and others minor buildings, it forms the Presidential Palace complex. Built in 1796 as a mansion for a Dutch businessman, it became the centre of the Dutch administration during the 19th century, and the official residence of every single president. As of 2014, the Palace doesn’t seem to be open for public.
The Merdeka Palace is one of seven presidential palaces in Indonesia. It is located on the north side of the Merdeka Square in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, and was used as the official residence of the president of the Republic of Indonesia.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
This statue commemorates the rebellion against Dutch occupation (1825-1830), led by Prince Diponegoro from the Kingdom of Mataram, Yogyakarta.
Masjid Istiqlal
Not far from Gambir Station and Monas is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. Designed by a Christian architect, the mosque was deliberately erected in front of an older cathedral by former president Soekarno to show religious harmony and diversity. The mosque is grand and gorgeous both inside and out, virtually every element was designed meticulously to reflect philosophical meanings of the Muslim world. Be sure to wear proper attire if you are going here for the day, or a sarong can be lent if you are wearing shorts. Get a guide to explore if you are on your own, but expect to pay a tip (arrange the amount before the tour) both to the guide and to the mosque.
Monumen Nasional, often abbreviated Monas
A towering 137m-tall obelisk of solid bronze platted with 50 kilos of gold shaped into flames up top, this is the most famous landmark in Jakarta. The monument was commissioned by Sukarno in 1961 to celebrate Indonesia's independence, it was completed in 1975 after his death and is consequently known irreverently as Sukarno's Last Erection. The 1 square kilometre Medan Merdeka (Freedom Square) plaza/park around it was created by bulldozing a squatter community. In its basement, look for the collection of dioramas depicting the struggle for Indonesian independence from a firmly revolutionary point of view, while the top has an observation deck. The musical fountain at the east side of the park dances on weekends at 19:00.
The century-old neo-gothic church is the seat of the Jakarta Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church. After you admire the design inside and out, go to the 2nd floor for a museum.
Museum Nasional
Step back in time from humble prehistory to the Hindu Kingdoms, from the Dutch to the Independence. It has a fine collection of Hindu sculptures and cultural artifacts from around the country, as well as an impressive treasure room filled with gold items. Look out for the elephant statue at front, a gift from the King of Siam (Thailand) in 1871. The Gold room is closed 1 hour before the museum normal closing time.
Pembebasan Irian Jaya
This statue, right at the centre of the court, celebrates the annexation of Irian Jaya (West Papua) into Indonesia from the Netherlands in 1963. Has dancing musical fountain, futsal area, children playground, jogging track, and can be used at night because of good illumination.