Merdeka Palace, Sarinah Building Among 16 New Heritage Sites In Jakarta
JAKARTA, March 15 (Bernama) -- Jakarta has added 16 sites, including the Merdeka Palace, an official residence of the Indonesian president, and the Sarinah Building, the country’s first modern department store, to its cultural heritage registry to help preserve the capital’s historic landmarks.
Jakarta Culture Office head Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary said the designation, formalised through gubernatorial decrees issued in 2025, covers 13 buildings, two structures and one cultural item.
He said the sites were designated following assessments by a team of cultural heritage experts who evaluated sites based on their historical, scientific, educational, religious and cultural significance.
“This designation reflects the regional government’s strong commitment to protecting, developing and utilising cultural heritage as part of Jakarta’s identity and valuable assets,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
He added that the latest designation brings Jakarta’s total cultural heritage registry to 322 objects, comprising 21 cultural items, 266 buildings, 31 structures, two sites and two designated heritage areas across the city.
The Merdeka Palace, built in 1873 during the Dutch colonial era, serves as the Indonesian president’s main ceremonial residence and office, while the Sarinah Building, opened in 1966 under the initiative of Indonesia’s first president Sukarno, is widely recognised as the country’s first modern department store.
The newly designated heritage buildings include the PGI Hospital and its chapel in Cikini, the Anglican Church of Indonesia, Santa Theresia Catholic Church, the Cultural Heritage Conservation Centre building in West Jakarta, as well as the Balai Yasa Manggarai Water Tower and the Nusantara Building, Mochamad Miftahulloh said.
Educational institutions such as Public Junior High School 3 Jakarta and Public Elementary School Gunung 05 Pagi were also included.
The newly designated structures comprise the ruins of Fort Martello and the grave of Mohammad Hoesni Thamrin in Central Jakarta, while the only cultural item added to the registry is a statue dedicated to Indonesian poet Chairil Anwar.
-- BERNAMA
