Kota Tua and Fatahillah Square

Before the Dutch, this stretch of coast was the port of Sunda Kelapa. In the 1520s forces sent by the Sultanate of Demak, led by Fatahillah, took the port and renamed it Jayakarta. In 1619 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) under Jan Pieterszoon Coen destroyed Jayakarta and founded Batavia on the east bank of the Ciliwung River, around the area of today's Fatahillah Square; the walled, canal-laced city became the VOC's headquarters in Asia.

The town hall, or Stadhuis, that dominates the square was rebuilt in its present form between 1707 and 1710, and on 30 March 1974 it opened as the Jakarta History Museum. Revitalisation began in the 2000s, with the square restored in 2006 and nearby streets closed to traffic; later restoration projects continued into the 2020s. Indonesia placed the Old Town of Jakarta on UNESCO's Tentative List in 2015, but withdrew its nomination in 2018.

For Jakartans, Kota Tua is a weekend outing: families, students and photographers fill the square, often dressed up for photos against the colonial buildings, while buskers, living statues and vendors add to the bustle. The area's history is layered, reflecting the Javanese, Sundanese, Chinese, Arab, Indian and European communities that shaped the port city, a mix still visible in its shops, food and places of worship.