Monument of Indonesia

Monas: The Official Monument of Indonesia

Monas, the National Monument, is a 433ft (132m) tower in the center of Merdeka Squara (Lapangan Merdeka) in Central Jakarta. It is symbolizing the fight for Indonesia. Monas is the official monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence.

The construction of Monas began in 1961 under the direction of President Soekarno, and it was opened to the public in 1975.

The monument’s design

The towering monument encapsulates the philosophy of Lingga and Yoni. Lingga resembles an alu (rice pestle) and Yoni resembles a lesung (rice mortar), two important traditional Indonesian tools. Lingga and Yoni also symbolize harmony, balance, fertility, and eternal life.

The northern pond measuring 25×25 m was designed to cool water for the air conditioning system of Monas, as well as to enhance the beauty of the surrounding area.

In the outer yard surrounding Monas there are reliefs of Indonesian history. The story begins in the northeastern corner and describes events during ears such as the Singasari and Majapahit empires. The reliefs extend along the four walls showing the European colonization of the Indonesian archipelago, various popular local uprisings, modern Indonesian organizations in the early 20th century, the Japanese occupation in World War II, the Proclamation of Independence, and post-independence developments.

The National History Museum

Inside, visitors are welcomed with the Indonesian National History Museum, which displayed various dioramas. There are a total of 51 dioramas around the walls and in the center of the hall.

The dioramas begin in the northeastern corner, displaying the scenes from Indonesian history from the beginning during the earliest days of Prehistoric Indonesia, the constructions of Borobudur, the Sriwijaya and Majapahit eras, followed with events from the period of European colonization and uprisings against Dutch East Indies Company and Dutch East Indies rule.

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