章 175: Monas (National Monument)

Monumen Nasional or abbreviated as Monas or Tugu Monas is a 132 meter (433 ft) high memorial monument located right in the middle of Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. Monas was established to commemorate the resistance and struggle of the Indonesian people in seizing independence from the colonial rule of the Dutch Empire. Construction began on August 17, 1961 under the orders of president Soekarno and was inaugurated so that it was opened to the public on July 12, 1975. The monument is crowned with flames covered with sheets of gold, which symbolizes the fervent fighting spirit of the Indonesian people.

History