As the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta is known as one of the most populous cities in the world. About ten million people from across Indonesia live in this city thus its cultural diversity. This urban area hosts hundreds of lavish shopping centres, and among those buildings, you can find these six iconic spots worth exploring while in Jakarta. There are museums, a sports arena, religious buildings, all becoming one to dress up this bustling city. So, let's check them out!

1. The National Monument (Monas)

The National Monument or in Indonesian: Monumen Nasional, abbreviated Monas is a 132 meters monument in the centre of the capital of Indonesia. Located in Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, it is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. The construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Sukarno. Monas was opened to the public in 1975. The top of Monas is a flame covered with gold foil.

The monument and the museum are open daily from 08.00 until 16.00 throughout the week except for Mondays. Since April 2016, the monument has also opened during night time, from 19.00 until 22.00 on Tuesday to Friday, and from 19.00 until 00.00 on Saturday and Sunday. There is a ticket cost IDR 5,000 for adults, IDR 2,000 for children) at the end of the tunnel. Tickets for access to the observation deck cost another IDR 15,000 for adults and IDR 4,000 for children. You can purchase the ticket at a second booth after passing through the hall showing the diorama display. Perfect place for photo hunting, right?

2. Ancol Theme Park

Taman Impian Jaya Ancol which is also known as Ancol Dreamland stands on an area of 552 hectares. Located in North Jakarta facing the Java Sea. Ancol is currently the largest integrated tourism area in South East Asia.

Ancol was a swamp area and the source of the Malaria outbreak in Batavia back then. When Jakarta began to develop in early 1960, a proposal emerged that the area should be turned into an industrial area. President Soekarno as the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, however, rejected the proposal. Instead, in 1966 he appointed the Governor of DKI Jaya at that time, dr. Soemarno Sosroatmodjo, as the executor of the Ancol project. Then in 1967, the construction project of Ancol proceeded under the leadership of Governor Ali Sadikin.

If you find yourself interested in visiting Ancol, well, several spots in Ancol's worth visiting namely Dufan, Sea World, Allianz Ecopark, Beach City, Ocean Dream Samudra, Art Market, and Atlantis Water Adventure.

3. Jakarta History Museum

Also known as Fatahilah Museum in the Jakarta Old Town area, this museum is a witness to the history of the city of Jakarta. Built in 1707 under the name Stadhuis or Municipal Hall of Batavia, this building is a place that tells the history of the city of Jakarta from before the Dutch colonial era. In this museum there is also a Jagur Cannon which is believed to increase fertility, there is also an axe that was used to quell crime and paintings from the Dutch Governor-General from 1602-1942.

Antique and original furniture that was once used by the ruling colonialists is also on display in this place. This museum has a small dark and scary dungeon that used to be a prison, where one of the Indonesian local heroes, Diponegoro, was once tied up and imprisoned in it. The museum operates from 9 am to 3 pm and is closed on Mondays. You can capture your moments when visiting this museum and post them on your Instagram.

4. Gelora Bung Karno Stadium

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located at the centre of the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. It is mostly used for football matches. The stadium is named after Sukarno, the 1st President of Indonesia, who is also a figure who sparked the idea of building this sports complex. The construction began on 8 February 1960 and finished on 21 July 1962. The stadium is well-known for its ring-shaped facade which was designed to shade spectators from the sun and increase the grandeur of the stadium.

When first opened before the 1962 Asian Games, the stadium had a seating capacity of 110,000. But then it was reduced to 88,306 during renovation in 2006. In 2016, the second renovation reduced the capacity of the stadium to 77,193 single seats to comply with FIFA standards. All of the stadium's existing seating was replaced, including its remaining bleachers. The new seats are coloured in red, white, and grey, resembling a waving flag of Indonesia. A new and brighter LED lighting system was installed with 620 fixtures and an RGB lighting system was also installed on the stadium's facade. Now, it becomes the 28th largest association football stadium in the world and the 8th largest association football stadium in Asia.

5. The Grand Istiqlal Mosque

The Istiqlal Mosque is the National Mosque of the Republic of Indonesia which is the pride and is also the largest in Southeast Asia. The designer of the Istiqlal Mosque, Friedrich Silaban, is a Christian. He was trusted to be the designer of the mosque because he had previously won a mosque design competition with the idea of ​​a theme in the form of "Divinity" which was organized by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Sukarno.

In line with the motto of the Indonesian people, namely "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" which means "Different but Still One," the Istiqlal Mosque has become a symbol of inter-religious tolerance because of its location opposite the Cathedral Church. Friedrich Silaban in the process of designing the Istiqlal Mosque included symbols related to Islam and the spirit of independence. The dome of the mosque has a diameter of about 45 meters which symbolizes the year of Indonesia's independence and there is also an engraving of the verse of the chair that surrounds the dome. The Istiqlal Mosque is located on Jalan Taman Wiyaja Kusuma, Central Jakarta, which has an area of ​​9.5 hectares. The name "Istiqlal" is taken from Arabic which means freedom.

6. Jakarta Cathedral Church

Jakarta Cathedral (Dutch: Kathedraal van Jakarta) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jakarta. Located in Central Jakarta near Merdeka Square and Merdeka Palace, right in front of the cathedral stands the Istiqlal Mosque. The Cathedral official name in Bahasa is Gereja Santa Perawan Maria Diangkat Ke Surga (Dutch: De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming, English: The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption).

This current cathedral was consecrated in 1901 and built in the neo-gothic style, a common architectural style to build churches at that time. The Jakarta Cathedral is a sophisticated, yet impressive establishment featuring cast iron steeples, a red brick body, teak wood shelter and stone pillars. It covers 60 meters in height and 10 in width, with an addition of 5 meters on each aisle. The current Archbishop in charge is Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. There are many great spots for you to take pictures here.

So, those are the most iconic spots in Jakarta that you must visit when living in Jakarta. Some of them become the symbol of the city of Jakarta. Some of them tell the history of Jakarta from a long time ago. All of them are great places for you to spend your weekend or for hunting Instagrammable photos.