Jakarta Cathedral

Jakarta Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jakarta, a Neo-Gothic church consecrated in 1901 after earlier buildings on the site failed. Its twin openwork iron spires rise above a brick facade facing Merdeka Square, directly across from the far larger Istiqlal Mosque, a pairing often read as a symbol of Indonesian religious tolerance. Ribbed vaults, stained glass and a small loft museum trace the history of Catholicism in the archipelago. Visitors come for the architecture and the quiet interior.