Prabowo Holds Eid Open House, Glimpse into the Architecture of the State Palace

The Eid al-Fitr moment was utilised by President Prabowo Subianto to hold an open house event with the public at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Saturday (21/3/2026).

This open house event began at 12:00 WIB and is estimated to be attended by 5,000 members of the public.

This open house event was held after President Prabowo Subianto returned from Aceh following the performance of Eid al-Fitr prayers there.

The Presidential Palace or State Palace serves not only as a venue to welcome state guests but also the visiting public, including during the current Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Before Prabowo Subianto, previous Indonesian presidents also routinely held open house events at Merdeka Palace, among them Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Joko Widodo.

The palace located on Jalan Veteran is a historic building that has stood since before Indonesia’s independence, specifically beginning construction in 1879.

Many people are confused about distinguishing between these two historic buildings and consider them the same, whereas they are clearly different.

The environment of the State Palace includes several other buildings, namely the President’s Office, State Guest House, Baiturrahim Mosque, and the Presidential Palace Museum.

Originally, the State Palace was the private residence of a Dutch national named J.A. van Braam.

Currently, the State Palace functions as the centre of state government activities, the venue for organising state events such as the inauguration of high-ranking state officials, the opening of national deliberations and working meetings, the opening of national and international congresses, and state banquets.

The function of the State Palace is more focused on official presidential activities, namely as the office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia.