National Monument 4.97

The National Monument is a 132 m tower in the centre of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence.Construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Soekarno. Monas was opened to the public in 1975. It is topped by a flame covered with gold foil.The monument and the museum are open daily from 08.00 until 16.00 Western Indonesia Time throughout the week except for the Mondays when the monument is closed. Since April 2016, the monument also opens during night time, from 19.00 until 22.00 in Tuesday to Friday, and from 19.00 until 00.00 in Saturday and Sunday.BackgroundAfter the Indonesian government returned to Jakarta from Yogyakarta in 1950 following the Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, President Sukarno began to contemplate the construction of a national monument comparable to the Eiffel Tower on the square in front of the Presidential Palace.On 17 August 1954, a National Monument Committee was established and a design competition was held in 1955. This attracted 51 entries, but only one design, by Frederich Silaban, met any of the criteria determined by the committee, which included reflecting the character of Indonesia in a building capable of lasting for centuries. A repeat competition was held in 1960, but once again, none of the 136 entries met the criteria.