Gereja Sion

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  • Address
    Jl Pangeran Jayakarta, Kota

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Near the Kota train station, the Gereja Sion dates from 1695 and is the oldest remaining church in Jakarta. Also known as Gereja Portugis (Portuguese Church), it was built just outside the old city walls for the so-called 'black Portuguese' - the Eurasians and natives captured from Portuguese trading ports in India and Malaya and brought to Batavia as slaves.

The exterior of the church is very plain, but inside there are copper chandeliers, a baroque pulpit and the original organ. Although more than 2000 people were buried in the graveyard during 1790 alone, very few tombs remain.