Visit National Monument

Jakarta citizenship does not necessarily make me know the ins and outs of this city of my birth. There are many places that rarely even I had never visited.

The place I rarely visit one of them is the National Monument commonly called MONAS. Monument is a monument as high as 132 meters (433 feet) which was established to commemorate the resistance and the Indonesian people's struggle for independence from the Dutch East Indies colonial administration. Construction of this monument began on August 17, 1961 under the orders of  President Sukarno,  and opened to the public on July 12, 1975. The monument is crowned with flame-coated gold leaf that symbolizes the spirit of the glowing struggle. National Monument is located right in the middle of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta.  Monuments and museums are open every day starting at 08:00 to 15:00 West Indonesia Time.

Until the end I decided to tour the weekend to visit the place historical it. Intrigued by the contents of the building? Let us look-see ....

At the base of the monument at a depth of 3 meters  below ground level,  there is the Museum of National History of Indonesia. Large space museum of history of national struggle with the size 80 x 80 meters wide,  can accommodate about 500 people visitors. This marble great room there were 48 dioramas on all four side sand 3 diorama in the middle, so that a total of 51dioramas. This diorama shows the history of Indonesiasince the pre-history to the New Order. This diorama begins from the northeast corner moving clock wise journey tracing the history of Indonesia; begin the pre-history,  the ancient empire like Srivijaya and Majapahit,  followed by European colonial period that followed the resistance of the pre-independence national hero against the VOC and Dutch East Indies government. Diorama continues until the period of the Indonesian national movement of the early 20th century, Japanese occupation, wars of independence and the revolution,  until the New Order of Suharto's reign.

Inside the monument there is cup-shaped amphitheater Independence Room. This room can be achieved through spin ladder in the north and south side doors. The room is storing state symbols and independence of the Republic of Indonesia. Among the original text of Indonesia's Independence Proclamation stored in a glass case inside the gilded gates, the symbol of the state of Indonesia, a map of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia archipelago gold plated,  white and red flag, and the walls are inscribed the manuscript Proclamation of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

An elevator (lift) on the south side of the door will bring visitors to the court of the peak size of 11 x 11 metersat an altitude of 115 meters from ground level. Thiselevator transport capacity of 11 people once. Court of  this peak can accommodate about 50 people,  and there are binoculars to see the panorama of Jakarta closer. In the elevator around the body there is an emergency staircase made of iron.   From the top court of the Monas monument,  visitors can enjoy views across the city. If the sunny weather conditions without smoke haze,  in the direction to the south visible from a distance of Mount Salak in Bogor regency,  West Java, stretching north sea with small islands.


National Monument at the top there is the cup that sustains bronze torches weighing 14.5 tons and 35 Kilograms of gold coated. Flame or torch, measuring 14 meters high and 6 meters in diameter consisting of 77 sections that are put together. This flame as a symbol of the spirit of struggle of the Indonesian people who want to achieve independence.  Initially the flame is coated sheet bronze gold weighing 35 kilograms, but to welcome the celebration of half a century (50years) Indonesian independence in 1995, gold leaf wasre-covered so as to achieve weight 50 kilograms of gold sheet.


So do not admit people Jakarta if have never been to the Nasional Monument.