JAKARTA, July 2 (Reuters) - It was once known as the "Queen of the East" because of its architectural splendour.
But, today, the Indonesian capital's old Dutch quarters and once magnificent buildings are crumbling and dilapidated, with little trace of their time of glory when Jakarta was an international trading centre. "They're dying in front of your eyes. Some of these buildings have been rented out for gambling and prostitution, " said Budi Lim, a conservation architect who has been involved in efforts to revive Old Town, or Kota Tua, for more than two decades. "Now is the time for the revival and renaissance of Kota." During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jakarta, or Batavia as it was then known, was renowned for its picturesque Dutch colonial houses and tropical tree-lined streets. The city was dotted with grand mansions and country houses with wide verandahs, ideal for the warm climate, while palaces in the Greco- Roman classical style were also common features. Grand colonial-style government offices and Art Deco buildings stood side-by-side in the Old Town, while other treasures included a 16th century Chinese temple, old mosques and Moorish houses built by the descendants of Arab traders. Today, the polluted and congested metropolis of 9 million people, which swells to 14 million if the suburban population is included, isn't exactly a top draw on the tourist map. Jakarta's skyline is marked by gleaming glass-and-chrome skyscrapers towering over run-down buildings and slums, while the Old Town is a warren of abandoned warehouses, or gudangs, and rows of neglected shop houses near open sewers. One reason why the city's architectural heritage hasn't been preserved, like Paris or Rome, is because Indonesia wanted to erase all memories of its colonial past which ended in 1949 after 350 years of Dutch colonial rule, conservationists say. "At first, many nationalists were against the idea of conserving Dutch buildings," said Ella Ubaidi, who co-founded Jakarta Old Town Kotaku (JOK), a seven-member committee that actively pushes the government to revive the area. "They thought it was unpatriotic because it glorified the Dutch colonial past. But if more people come to the Old Town, more shops will open, and people can come to admire old buildings and shop, just like in Paris and Rome." ART GALLERIES, CRAFT WORKSHOPS But Jakarta may finally be a bit closer to getting the facelift conservationists have been dreaming about. As the city marks its 480th anniversary, conservationists have signed a preliminary pact with the government to revive the Old Town area. The team, which includes central bank deputy governor Miranda Goeltom and Lim, has drawn up a blueprint that aims to combine renovation and conservation with economic development and the promotion of art and culture in the old buildings. Lim envisions converting the abandoned historic buildings into art galleries and workshops for craftsmen. But the Kota Tua revival project is dependent on funds from the private sector, which may not be easy because most of the buildings are now owned by the government. Jakarta, which holds elections for a new governor in August, has a patchy conservation record. Only a small number of the city's 100 protected buildings have been preserved -- among them the 18th century Presidential Palace, along with the stunning National Archives building and neo-Renaissance arts theatre in the heart of Jakarta. Even if the old town is renovated, it may fail to draw tourists to a city notorious for its pollution and traffic jams. "The Old Town area is polluted and dirty. Streets are full of junk, beggars and homeless people," said Ubaidi, who has been at the forefront of efforts to revive the old city. "Many thugs lurk in this part of the city. They command each and every inch of the Old Town area -- they charge for parking, they ask for security fees from businesses and they also open the empty heritage buildings for homeless and charge them for space." KPSBI-HISTORIA Phone: (021) 7044-7220, Mobile: 0818-0807-3636 [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://kpsbi-historia.blogdrive.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7
