Jakarta: History of a Misunderstood City

Jakarta is a fascinating city. Its attraction lies in the incredibly wide variety of people Indonesians, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and Europeans who have arrived over the centuries, bringing with them their own habits, folklore and culture. Their descendants have resulted in a vibrant mix of people, most of them making a living along the thousands of small lanes and alleys that criss-cross the kampungs of this enormous city. Artefacts indicate that this area was inhabited from the fifth century. Hundreds of years later, a small trading post on the coast named Kelapa was founded and eventually grew into the mega-city of Jakarta with over twenty million people. This book provides a unique look at the history of Jakarta through the eyes of individuals who have walked its streets through the ages, revealing how some of the challenges confronting the city today congestion, poverty, floods and land subsidence mirror the struggles the city has had to face in the past. See more