Gereja Sion (Oldest Church in Jakarta)
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Gereja Sion is the oldest church in Jakarta. Also known as the Portuguese outer church, it was built in 1695 by the Dutch for the benefit of their "black Portuguese" prisoners ( Mardijker ), some of whom descendants of families captured during the siege of Galle in 1640. Apart from its historical significance, there is nothing really spectacular about the Gereja Sion. The best thing about it is probably the massive pipe organ from the 18th century. There is also a graveyard outside the church where Hendrick Zwaardecroon, former Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1718 to 1725 is buried. Hendrick Zwaardecroon's grave
The building where the National Archives Museum is located used to be the residence of Reiner de Klerk , the Governor General of the VOC, the Dutch trading company during colonial times. Restored a few years ago, it is now a tiny museum you can quickly visit on your way to Kota Tua. Please note that the actual location of the National Archives of Indonesia is on Jalan Ampera in South Jakarta. There is nothing special about the collection displayed, it is mostly old photographs, maps, drawings and paintings. The most enjoyable part is to spend some time in the well-maintained garden and to admire the architecture of the building.
Even though the Museum Wayang is recommended by all tourist guides in Jakarta, I found it rather uninteresting and repetitive. With almost no explanations in English and very poor maintenance, I only spent a half-hour inside. The museum displays various types of puppets, among which wayang kulit (shadow puppet made of leather), wayang golek (similar to dolls) and wayang klitik (shadow puppet made of wood). There is also an international section with a collection of puppets from all over the world. One of them was a gift from French President François Mitterand during his visit to Indonesia.