8 Worth Visiting Oldest Buildings in Indonesia

Indonesia will reach 76 years of age the next August 2021. That makes Indonesia has so many evolves in so many aspects, includes the building around. You can say that there are so many buildings that already exist more than decades ago.

Moreover, if you take a look closer at some Indonesian historical buildings you will find that most of them have more than a hundred years of ages. That because most of them were built long before Indonesia reach its independence.

Speaking of the oldest building, this time we will bring you into the most popular oldest buildings in Indonesia. Some of them become beautiful tourism visit places that worth to visit during the holiday. Let’s see some of them below!

• Tjong A Fie Mansion

If you visiting Medan, the Tjong A Fie mansions can be worth to visit as it becomes one of the most popular oldest building in Indonesia. It was built in 1900 with the combination architecture of Europe, Chinese, Malay, and art-deco styles.

The Tjong A Fie mansion used to a building that own by Tjong A Fie and lived by his descendants. In around 2009, the mansion was open to the public as one of the tourism places in Medan. The area also becomes one of the most popular Chinatowns in Indonesia that worth visiting.

You can find the Tjong A Fie mansion around Jend. A Yani street No. 156, Kesawan, Medan Barat, Medan, North Sumatra. The mansion has two floors building completes with all of the Chinese-Malay households and paintings style.

• London Sumatra Building

Medan used to become one of the center tradings that makes it has some of the oldest building in Indonesia such as the London Sumatra building. It was built in 1909 with the Dutch architectural style between the 18th and 19th centuries.

London Sumatra building used to calls the Juliana Building before it was taken over by Harrison & Crosfield in 1844.  They make it as an office building, but in 1982 they sold the company to the Malaysian company, Sime Darby.  

Later in 1994, they sold the company sold to the Sumatra London Plantation ltd that makes it popular until now. You can find the London Sumatra building around Jend. A Yani street No. 2, Kesawan, Medan Barat, Medan, North Sumatra.

• Bank of Indonesia Museum

If you visiting the Kota Tua area in Jakarta, then you will find some of the oldest Indonesian buildings such as the Bank of Indonesia museum. It was built around 1828 with a neo-classical architectural building.

Bank of Indonesia Museum is one of the heritage buildings of the De-Javasche Bank since 1953. The building becomes representative of the history of Indonesian bank and it starts open for the public around 2006.

You can find the Bank Indonesia Museum around Pintu Besar Utara Street No. 3, West Jakarta, and not too far to reach from the biggest mosque in Indonesia, the Istiqlal. You can find all about the Bank of Indonesia within the history before and after Indonesian independence until about 2005.

• Fatahillah Museum

Still, around the Kota Tua area in Jakarta, you will find the Fatahillah museum as another oldest building in Indonesia besides the Bank of Indonesia museum. It was built around 1707 up until around 1712 with the Dutch architectural style.

The Fatahillah museum used to function as the government official buildings for the Batavia town hall. Later, when the VOC conquer the area, the building was replaced as the Batavia prison up until around 1846. In around 1942 under Japanese colonialism, the building was replaced by Dai-Nippon.

Once Indonesia got its independence, the Fatahillah museum was replaced by the Jakarta provincial government building. Later in 1974, the building was finally open for the public as the museum up until now as one of the most visiting dark tourism in Indonesia.

• BNI 46 Building

If you visit Yogyakarta, you will find some of the oldest Indonesian buildings such as the BNI 46 building in around 0 kilometers of  Yogyakarta, Malioboro area which you can find so many types of Nasi Goreng in Indonesia sellers there. It was built around 1859 by the Netherlands ’ financier in Indonesia under Dutch colonialism.

The BNI 46 building used to become the De-Javasche Bank between 1863-1868. The building gets so many times for rebuild and destroys between the war. Finally, in around 1921, the building was renovated and functions for the bank’s building up until now.

• Benteng Vredeburg Museum

Benteng Vredeburg museum becomes one of the oldest buildings in Indonesia that so popular in tourism visit. It is located around the Malioboro area in Yogyakarta and was built around 1767.

Just like the oldest building in Indonesia, the Benteng Vredeburg museum also has a hard time resisting. During the war and even the earthquake, the building has so much time for a renovation. Later, in around 1992, the building finally open to the public as one of the Indonesian museums.

• Taman Sari Keraton Yogyakarta

Taman Sari Keraton Yogyakarta becomes one of the oldest building in Indonesia that located in around Taman Sari village, Yogyakarta. It was built around 1758 up until 1765 under the first Sultan.

Taman Sari Keraton Yogyakarta used to calls the fragrant garden, the representative of the beautiful garden behind the palace.

• Lawang Sewu Museum

Lawang Sewu museum becomes one of the oldest building in Indonesia that located in Semarang as one of the Indonesian most famous landmarks. It was built around 1904 by the Indonesian railway company and open for the public for the first time in around 1992.

Lawang Sewu becomes one of the most popular museums in Semarang, Central Java. The place becomes the most popular place for tourism visits up until now.

So, there are some of the oldest buildings in Indonesia that worth tourism visit up until now. Have you ever visiting one of them?