Monas, The National Monument

Monas, The National Monument 

 Monas

The National Monument (Indonesian: Monumen Nasional, abbreviated Monas) is a 132 m (433ft) tower in the centre of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence.

Construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Sukarno. Monas was opened to the public in 1975. It is topped by a flame covered with gold foil. The monument and the museum are open daily from 08.00 - 15.00 Western Indonesia Time (UTC+7) throughout the week except for the last Monday of each month when the monument is closed.

Background

After the Indonesian government returned to Jakarta from Yogyakarta in 1950 following the Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, President Sukarno began to contemplate the construction of a national monument comparable to the Eiffel Tower on the square in front of the Presidential Palace. On 17 August 1954, a National Monument Committee was established and a design competition was held in 1955. This attracted 51 entries, but only one design, by Frederich Silaban, met any of the criteria determined by the committee, which included reflecting the character of Indonesia in a building capable of lasting for centuries. A repeat competition was held in 1960, but once again, none of the 136 entries met the criteria. The chairman of the jury team then asked Silaban to show his design to Sukarno. However, Sukarno did not like the design as he wanted the monument to be in the form of a linga and yoni. Silaban was asked to design such a monument, but his design was for a monument so large that it would have been unaffordable given the economic conditions at the time. Silaban refused to design a smaller monument, suggesting that construction be delayed until the Indonesian economy improved. Sukarno then asked the architect R.M. Soedarsono to continue with the design. Soedarsono incorporated the numbers 17, 8 and 45, representing the 17 August 1945 Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, in the dimensions of the monument.

Hall of Independence, Gate of Independence in the left wall and Garuda Pancasila on the right side

Getting there

The observation desk and other facilities are open daily from 08.00-15.00 daily (except for the last Monday of each month). The entrance to Monas is located around 100 meters away to the northern side of the monument. Visitors enter by steps down to a tunnel which leads back towards the base of the Monas. There is a ticket office (Rp 5,000 for adults, early 2014) at the end of the tunnel. Tickets allow access to the National History Museum display of dioramas as well as several other parts of the area. Tickets for access to the observation desk cost another Rp 7,500 for adults (mid-2012) and may be purchased at a second booth after passing through the hall showing the diorama display.

It is best to go early, preferably arriving before 08.00am, and proceed directly to the lift to the observation tower. The lift has a capacity of perhaps 160 people per hour so long queues build up quickly. The other parts of the monument, including the dioramas in the hall below the Monas, can be viewed later.

(source : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)