The National Museum in Jakarta
Located in Central Jakarta, The National Museum is a significant landmark and major tourist attraction in Indonesia. This exceptional museum was built in 1862 during the Dutch colonial administration.
It was only in 1868 that The National Museum was officially opened and since then it has been known as the Elephant House or Gedung Gajah. It was called so, mainly due to the attractive elephant statue made out of bronze which was placed in the front yard. It is recorded that this statue was a precious donation made by Thai King Chulalongkorn in 1871.
In 1950, Gedung Gajah became the Indonesian Culture Council which was later handed over to the Government of Indonesia who made it the Central Museum. It was renamed and re-launched as the National Museum in 1979.
This outstanding museum is a place of cultural importance, information and knowledge. While offering valuable facts on the country's national and cultural heritage, the museum also offers the visitor a place complete with recreational information, research and education.
The museum is home to a vast range of nationally important artefacts. Its collections include Prehistory Collections, Geographic Collection, The Treasure Rooms, Bronze Collections, Ceramic Collections, Stone Sculpture Collections, Numismatic Collections, Historical relics Collections, Ethnography Collections and Textile Collections.
At present The National Museum houses more than 109,342 objects. There are nine separate rooms showcasing different types of cultural and historic relic. Some objects displayed here are those that are used in the daily lives of Indonesian's. There are also objects used for various national ceremonies, parades and rituals. An important feature here is that visitors have the freedom to explore collections according to their own interest.
In 1994 the museum embarked on an extensive expansion project in order to include new and more exciting exhibition spaces. The best way to explore this fascinating museum is to stay at a nearby Jakarta hotel such as Millennium Hotel Sirih Jakarta and feel maximum comfort provided amidst a charming and relaxing ambience.
About the Author:
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.