harbor to the left (north) of the map make up Jakarta Old Town. Kota Tua is a remainder of Old Batavia, the first walled settlement of the Dutch in Jakarta area. It was an inner walled city with its own
Castle. The area gained importance during the 17th-19th century when it was established as the
de facto capital of the
Dutch East Indies. This inner walled city contrasted with the surrounding
kampung (villages), orchards, and rice fields. Dubbed "The Jewel of Asia" in the 16th century by European sailors, the area was a center of commerce due to its strategic location within the
spice trade industry in the archipelago.
Headquarters of the Dutch East India company In 1526,
Fatahillah, sent by
Sultanate of Demak, invaded the Hindu
Pajajaran's port of
Sunda Kelapa, after which he renamed it into
Jayakarta. This town was only 15 hectare in size and had a typical Javanese harbor layout. In 1619 the
Dutch East India Company (VOC) destroyed Jayakarta under the command of
Jan Pieterszoon Coen. A year later the VOC built a new town named "
Batavia" after the
Batavieren, the supposed Dutch ancestors from antiquity. This city was centered around the east bank of the Ciliwung river, around present day
Fatahillah Square. Inhabitants of Batavia are called "Batavianen", later known as "
Betawi" people. The
creole citizens are descendants of mixed various ethnicities that had inhabited Batavia. Around 1630 the city expanded towards the west banks of Ciliwung, on the ruins of former Jayakarta. The city was designed according to Dutch urban planning, complete with a fortress (Kasteel Batavia), city wall, public square, churches, canals and tree-lined streets. The city was arranged in several blocks separated by canals. No native Javanese were allowed to live within the city walls, since the authorities were afraid that they might start an insurrection. The planned city of Batavia was completed in 1650. It became the headquarters of the VOC in the
East Indies and prospered from the spice trade.
Abandonment Old Batavia declined in prominence in the late 18th century, probably because of the canals with their near-stagnant water, together with the warm and humid climate would often cause outbreaks of tropical diseases like
malaria. Much of the old town became neglected and abandoned due to its decline of importance, and slowly its canals were filled up. Countryside villas were preferred by wealthier residents, which caused the city to grow southward. This process led to the foundation of an estate named
Weltevreden.
As the capital of Dutch East Indies The city retained its status as the administrative center of the
Dutch East Indies when the VOC transferred its possession to the monarch of the Netherlands in 1800. During the rule of
Governor General Daendels in 1808, the city's administration and military were moved south to
Weltevreden, with a new planned town center around
Koningsplein and
Waterlooplein. Due to financial problems however, much of the old town, its wall, and Kasteel Batavia were torn down for construction materials to build new government and civic buildings, such as the
Palace of Daendels (now department of Finance) and the
Harmonie Society Building (demolished). The only remnant of the area of Kasteel Batavia is
Amsterdam Gate, which was completely demolished in 1950. The city continued to expand further south as epidemics in 1835 and 1870 forced more and more people to move out of the old city to the newer spacious, green and healthier Weltevreden neighborhood. The old city became deserted and was a mere empty shell of its former glory by this period. Old Batavia kept its commercial importance as the city's main harbor and warehouses district, but it was largely overshadowed by
Surabaya as the colony's prime harbor and commercial hub. After the opening of the
Tanjung Priok harbor and fueled by the increasing rubber output in the late 19th century, Batavia was able to regain its commercial momentum. There had been attempts to restore the city's old downtown prominence by converting the desolated area into the main business district of Batavia. As a result, the former mansions and shops that at the time had been occupied by
ethnic Chinese people, were converted and renovated into offices in the period 1900–1942. Many of these offices can still be seen today around
Kali Besar. The development of the business district was hampered by the 1930
Great Depression and the
Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942.
Post Independent Indonesia , formerly a bank office, has been left roofless and slowly deteriorates; the wooden interior exposed to the element. After the recognition of Indonesia's independence in December 1949, the business and banking district of Kota was moved to
Thamrin and
Kebayoran Baru in the south, thus allowing Kota to further deteriorate again after having regained some of its lost glory. The Banking district of Kota area completely disappeared in the 1980s. In 1972, the
Governor of Jakarta,
Ali Sadikin, issued a decree that officially designated the Jakarta Kota Tua area as a heritage site. The governor's decision was necessary in order to preserve the city's architectural roots – or at least what was left of it. Despite the Governor's Decree, Kota Tua remained neglected. Even though the population were pleased by the issuing of the decree, not enough was being done to protect and conserve the legacy from the Dutch colonial era. Many buildings in Kota Tua remain abandoned, and increasing pollution hastened up the dilapidation rate of the old buildings. Some old buildings in Kali Besar were destroyed for development despite the heritage status, such as Hotel Omni Batavia, which was built over an old warehouse. ==Restoration and revitalization==