Historical places lure determined tourist<\/p>\n
By Yoko N. Sari<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Several elderly tourists from the Netherlands
\nlistened carefully to an explanation about the ruins on Onrust
\nisland provided by a guide. The ruins are all that remain of huge
\nwindmills built to cut logs to repair colonial ships.<\/p>\n
\"The windmills were used to cut logs to repair the merchant
\nships when the island was used as a dock by the Dutch trading
\ncompany VOC,\" the guide told them.<\/p>\n
The tourists were lucky to have an expert as their guide. His
\nname is Lodewyk J. Wagenaar, a curator\/conservator from the
\nAmsterdam Historical Museum.<\/p>\n
Then, the group headed to a Dutch graveyard where at least 41
\npeople are buried. The cemetery is a mess, with tombstones
\nscattered all around. Whatever marble markers once existed have
\nbeen stolen from the graves.<\/p>\n
Yet the tourists seemed to enjoy the trip there as Wagenaar
\ndrew them into the past with stories of life on the island when
\nthe Netherlands was still occupying Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The tourists were participating in specially designed tour,
\ncalled \"historical tourism\".<\/p>\n
One tourist, who was born in Pasar Ikan, North Jakarta, and
\nused to visit the island when he was a boy, said, \"I smell the
\npast.\"<\/p>\n
It is a fact that Jakarta does not have as many interesting
\ntourist sites as other places in the country, such as Bali or
\nWest Java and Central Java, but the city does have something that
\nhas the potential to attract tourists from around the world.
\nJakarta is rich in historical ruins. The city itself reflects a
\nlong and colorful history.<\/p>\n
Historical tourism is a new approach which is expected to
\nboost the tourist industry in the city. But much remains to be
\ndone by the municipal administration to promote the capital as an
\ninteresting place to see.<\/p>\n
The Kota area in West Jakarta for example contains the roots
\nof the very beginnings of this sprawling city. It used to be the
\ncenter of the city and some of the historical and other old
\nbuildings located there are now museums. There are four major
\nmuseums there.<\/p>\n
Another place believed to have the potential to attract
\ntourists is the Seribu Island chain, of which four of the isles
\nhave historical ruins: Onrust, Kelor, Cipir and Bidadari.<\/p>\n
Onrust<\/p>\n
Onrust island, about 50 minutes from Marina Ancol, has a lot
\nof ruins from the Dutch colonial period, that if properly
\npromoted could attract tourists wanting to know more about the
\nhistory of Indonesia during that time.<\/p>\n
The island was used by Dutch merchants as a dock in 1615
\nbefore the VOC developed the island and started to put up
\nbuildings. In 1671 a pentagon-shaped fort was established. The
\nisland was then used as a quarantine center for haj pilgrims from
\n1911 to 1933.<\/p>\n
The ruins are in such a poorly preserved state at this time,
\nhowever, that most people would not understand their function,
\nnor their historical significance, if they visited the islands
\nwithout expert tourist guides.<\/p>\n
For most people, the island of Onrust, which means \"always
\nbusy\" in Dutch, seems an eerie, desolated place because most of
\nthe buildings are not there anymore. One hundred years ago the
\nisland was the center of the activities surrounding the vital
\nmerchant ships. Now little more than ruins and graves remain.<\/p>\n
The City Museum and Historical Office recognizes the potential
\nof the islands to attract tourists, especially those from the
\nNetherlands. However, a tight budget has hampered its efforts to
\npreserve or restore various elements of Jakarta's archeological
\nheritage in the Seribu Islands.<\/p>\n
Head of the Exhibition and Promotion Department of the Jakarta
\nTourism Office Tinia Budiati said recently that due to financial
\nconstraints her office has been able to do little to restore the
\nhistorical sites. \"All we can do is upgrade part of them
\ngradually.\"<\/p>\n
She explained that her office has asked the municipal
\nadministration to undertake a huge project expected to change the
\nisland into an open air museum. The administration has yet to
\nrespond to the proposal.<\/p>\n
Budget<\/p>\n
\"The proposed project is aimed at restoring the buildings and
\nfacilities once standing there, so people can enjoy and
\nunderstand the history of the island,\" Tinia said.<\/p>\n
\"We have to do this to make the island more attractive so more
\ntourists, local and foreign, will visit it,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She feared that the Jakarta administration simply has more
\nimportant programs as priorities and can't focus on preserving
\nthe heritage. \"My office may have to try to finance the project
\nat its own expense.\"<\/p>\n
From 1979 to 1990 the office did some excavation work on the
\nisland to find and expose the structures expected to expose
\nelements of the way of life on the island between 1615 and 1800.<\/p>\n
The excavation activities were mostly aimed at determining the
\nlocations of the main building on the island, the pentagon-shaped
\nfort, and the two windmills which were built during that time.<\/p>\n
\"The excavation work was done on the basis of a map drawn by
\nHeydt in 1740, which described the location of those buildings,\"
\nTinia said.<\/p>\n
She explained that the results have not been as satisfactory
\nas hoped. Her office has only been able to find the foundations
\nof the main building and the windmills. These ruins mean nothing
\nto visitors without the guidance and explanation of experts.<\/p>\n
Onrust Island will only have adequate significance for the
\nhistorical tourism program, if the city administration rebuilds
\nthe fort, barracks and windmills.<\/p>\n
Even the Dutch historian Wagenaar said that it is important to
\nrevive this history to help younger generation to understand the
\nhistorical importance of the island.<\/p>\n
\"It is true that to rebuild the island exactly like it was in
\nthe 17th century needs a lot of funds. But it should be done and
\nI believe it is worth doing for the sake of history,\" Wagenaar
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/historical-places-lure-determined-tourist-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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