MONAS

Indonesia National Monument or what Indonesian and Jakarta people usually call as Monas is a monument built to remember the struggle of Indonesian heroes fighting the colonial domination. Monas was built based on the idea of the first president of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, with the help of Sudarsono and F. Silaban as the architect, and Ir. Rooseno as the consultant. It’s builts on an area with a width of 80 hectares. Monas was officially open on 17th August 1961 by President Soekarno, and publicly open on 12th July 1971.

The top of Monas shaped like a flame, symbolizing a never extinguished spirit of Indonesian people. The flame was made of bronze medal which weight was 14.5 ton, and was plated with 35 kg gold. The flame has 6 meters diameter and consist of 77 concentrated parts.

The standing pillar of Monas which height is 137 meters, symbolizing a rice pestle, while the cup symbolizing a rice barn. Rice pestle and barn are traditional tools to pound rice, figuring out Indonesia as an agricultural country. They’re also regarded as the symbol of Indonesian people’s fertility, and as the symbol of male and female.

Jakarta people usually utilize Monas area as a place for sport activities, in the morning and afternoon time. Most people visit Monas on weekend and holidays.