Jakarta Old Town

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The former Stadhuis of Batavia, the seat of Governor General office of VOC during Dutch East Indies. The building now serves as Jakarta Historical Museum (Museum Fatahillah).

Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also known as Old Jakarta, and Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), is a small area in Jakarta, Indonesia. This special region spans 1.3 square kilometres of both North Jakarta and West Jakarta.

Dubbed "the jewel of Asia" in the 16th century by European sailors, Old Jakarta — or Batavia, as it was named by the Dutch — was once considered a center of commerce for the whole continent due to its strategic location, fertile resources, and rich culture.

In 1972, the Governor of Jakarta Ali Sadikin issued a decree that officially made the Jakarta Kota area into 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, the vicinity remains neglected, as though the majority was pleased just by the issuing of the decree. Not enough was being done to protect and conserve the legacy from the Dutch colonial era.^[1]

Now, many remaining historical buildings and architecture are steadily deteriorating; at best, "dilapidated".^[2] such as; Museum History of Jakarta (ex-Dutch Indies general governoor palace), Museum Bahari, Sunda Kelapa harbour, and Omni Batavia hotel.

However, there is still much hope in restoring the area, especially with various non-profit organizations, private institutions, and even the government^[3] recently stepping up to the plate to rejuvenate Old Jakarta's legacy. Since late 2007, the government closed Pinangsia street and replace it as pedestrian.