National Monument (Indonesia)
The National Monument is a 132 m (433 ft) obelisk in the centre of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence.
The Monument in 2015
Sukarno inspecting the Monas construction process
Construction of Monas
"Monas" and the Jakarta skyline
Merdeka Square is a large square located in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia. Merdeka is the Indonesian word for freedom or independence. Measuring approximately one square kilometer in area, if the surrounding fields within the Merdeka Square are included, it is considered one of the largest squares in the world. At 75 hectares, it is over five times the size of Tiananmen Square, and 12 times the size of Place de la Concorde.
A view of Merdeka Square with National Monument standing in the middle of the square.
Royal Dutch East Indies Army bomber planes fly over Batavia Koningsplein in the 1930s.
Sukarno speaking at the Rapat Akbar on 19 September 1945.
Plan of Merdeka Square in 1965