Jakarta is Indonesia's sprawling capital megacity, a fast-moving mix of Dutch colonial Kota Tua, national monuments, glass towers, huge malls, street-food alleys and a thriving nightlife and arts scene. It is the main gateway to Java and the launch point for the Thousand Islands and day trips to Bogor, Bandung and the Puncak highlands.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Jakarta.
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1
Early Settlement
The Ciliwung River delta was inhabited by Austronesian-speaking peoples for millennia. Inscriptions from the 5th century show the area lay within the Hindu kingdom of Tarumanagara.
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2
Tarumanagara Kingdom
King Purnawarman of Tarumanagara left the Tugu inscription, which records canal-digging works near present-day North Jakarta. It is among the earliest written records of the area.
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3
Sunda Kelapa Becomes Jayakarta
Fatahillah, a commander of the Sultanate of Banten and Demak, captured the port of Sunda Kelapa from the Portuguese and Sunda Kingdom and renamed it Jayakarta, meaning 'complete victory'. The date, 22 June, is celebrated as Jakarta's anniversary.
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4
Dutch Founding of Batavia
Jan Pieterszoon Coen of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) razed Jayakarta and founded Batavia, laid out with canals in the Dutch style. Batavia became the VOC's Asian headquarters and a major spice-trade hub.
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5
Batavia Chinese Massacre
Tensions over sugar-mill workers and taxation led to the killing of thousands of Chinese residents in Batavia. Survivors resettled outside the walls, forming what became Glodok Chinatown.
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6
End of the VOC and Governor Daendels
The VOC was dissolved in 1799 and the Dutch state took over. Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels moved the administrative centre south to Weltevreden, around today's Merdeka Square.
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7
Japanese Occupation
Japanese forces occupied Batavia in March 1942 and renamed it Jakarta. The occupation ended Dutch rule and ignited nationalist movements.
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8
Proclamation of Independence
Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence at Sukarno's residence on Jalan Pegangsaan Timur 56 in Jakarta. Independence was fought for until the Dutch formally recognised it in 1949.
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9
Sukarno-Era Monuments and Istiqlal
President Sukarno commissioned the National Monument (Monas, opened 1975 after building began in 1961), Selamat Datang fountain and Gelora Bung Karno stadium for the 1962 Asian Games. Istiqlal Mosque was opened in 1978.
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10
New Order and Rapid Growth
Governor Ali Sadikin transformed Jakarta from the 1960s, building roads and cultural centres such as Taman Ismail Marzuki. Under Suharto the city grew into a megacity, culminating in the May 1998 riots and Suharto's resignation.
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11
Capital Relocation Plan
The government announced relocating the national capital to Nusantara in East Kalimantan because of congestion and land subsidence. Jakarta retains its special region status as the country's economic centre.
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12
MRT and Modern Transit
Jakarta opened its first MRT line in March 2019 and the LRT network followed, with the Whoosh high-speed train to Bandung launching in 2023.
Historical sites
Places where Jakarta's past comes alive.
National Monument (Monas)
Independence monument on Merdeka Square with a history museum at its base, built between 1961 and 1975.
Where: Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta
Fatahillah Square and Jakarta History Museum
The centre of colonial Batavia, with the 1710 Stadhuis (town hall) now housing the Jakarta History Museum.
Where: Kota Tua, West Jakarta
Sunda Kelapa Harbour
Original port of the Sunda Kingdom and Jayakarta, still handling traditional sailing ships.
Where: Penjaringan, North Jakarta
Museum of the Proclamation Text (Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi)
Former residence of Admiral Maeda where the text of the 1945 independence proclamation was drafted.
Where: Menteng, Central Jakarta
Jakarta Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque
Neo-Gothic 1901 cathedral facing the 1978 national mosque, a symbol of Indonesian religious harmony.
Where: Central Jakarta
Museum Bahari (Maritime Museum)
Former VOC spice warehouses built from 1652, now displaying Indonesian maritime heritage.
Where: Penjaringan, North Jakarta
Tugu Inscription and Tugu Museum Area
Area of North Jakarta associated with the 5th-century Tugu inscription of King Purnawarman; the original stone is now displayed in the National Museum.
Where: Koja, North Jakarta
Glodok and Petak Sembilan
Historic Chinatown established after the 1740 massacre, with temples dating to the 17th century.
Where: Glodok, West Jakarta
Museum Taman Prasasti
A former Dutch cemetery turned open-air museum with elaborate 19th-century tombstones, including that of Soe Hok Gie.
Where: Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta
Jakarta Old Town Cafe Batavia Building
1830s Dutch-era building on Fatahillah Square housing Cafe Batavia, one of the oldest colonial buildings in the district.
Where: Kota Tua, West Jakarta