The twin towers of this monument with a dodgy provenance soar over grassy Lapangan Banteng and are topped by a sculpture of a man breaking his chains. It dates to the Sukarno era and was designed as anti-Imperialist propaganda, even as Indonesia took over Irian Jaya (Timor and Papua) despite local protests in 1963. These days some call it the 'Freedom Monument'.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Lapangan Banteng

0.07 MILES

Just east of Merdeka Square, Lapangan Banteng is surrounded by some of Jakarta’s best colonial architecture. It was first designed by the Dutch in the…

2. Gereja Katedral Jakarta

0.15 MILES

This Roman Catholic cathedral is an impressive height, with lacy twin spires made from wrought iron, each 60m tall. It was built in 1901 to replace an…

3. Ministry of Finance Building

0.21 MILES

Next door to the 1848 columned old Supreme Court is the Ministry of Finance Building, formerly the Witte Huis (White House). This grand complex was built…

4. Mahkamah Agung

0.21 MILES

Part of the Ministry of Finance complex, this grand columned edifice with a deep portico was the colonial-era palace of the Dutch governor-general Hermann…

5. Gedung Pancasila

0.27 MILES

Gedung Pancasila is an imposing neoclassical building built in 1830 as the Dutch army commander’s residence. It later became the meeting hall of the…

6. Masjid Istiqlal

0.31 MILES

The striking, modernist Masjid Istiqlal is adorned by patterned geometric grates on the windows. Completed in 1978, it's the largest mosque in Southeast…

7. Immanuel Church

0.48 MILES

This classic church dates from 1834. The interior is smaller than you'd think but it has an evocative round dome and an organ from 1843. Ask to see the…

8. Galeri Nasional

0.59 MILES

Over 1700 works of art by foreign and Indonesian artists are part of the National Gallery collection. While only a few works are on display at any time,…