A Historical Masterpiece - Black Portuguese Church
Jakarta, a city with a colourful history is the capital of Indonesia
. It is the largest city in Southeast Asia and the citys metropolitan area covers a vast area, the second greatest in the world. Established as a trading port in the fourth century, the city grew steadily and was named the capital of Indonesia when it became an independent nation after the end of World War II.The Black Portuguese Church dating to the 17th century is a Baroque style building with adequate space for around 1,000 worshipers. The building was constructed just outside the city walls, from which its original name New Portuguese Church outside the walls (translated from the Dutch) is derived.
The main structure of the church was formed from bricks, with plastered walls. It is rumoured that the bricks of the church walls are glued together with heat resistant sugar and sand. The roof is formed from tiles of exceptional quality which have stood the test of time. The building rests on 10,000 round poles, called dolken in Dutch. The church has a simple exterior but is richly appointed with ebony framework, granite floor, copper chandeliers and a pipe organ. The beautiful wall paintings were created by Dutch merchant and artist Ewout Verhagen and the ornate carved furniture was brought from Formosa (now Taiwan).
The church has an eventful history stretching back to colonial times. It was created as a place of worship for the enslaved Ceylonese and Bengalis who were brought over by the Portuguese from their colonies in Ceylon and India. When the Dutch gained control of these areas, the slaves were freed after converting to Christianity. They were called Mardijkers or liberated ones, the term being derived from the Sanskrit word Mardhikka (freedom).
The church is the oldest in Jakarta still used for its original purpose. It has been renovated, but still remains largely as it was in centuries past.
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