Disbud Inaugurates Batavia Meridian Zero Line Exhibition Room

The Jakarta Culture Agency is set to open the Batavia Meridian Zero Line Exhibition Room at the Maritime Museum, Penjaringan Sub-district, North Jakarta on Thursday (7/7). It coincides with the Jakarta Maritime Museum's 45th Anniversary.

This exhibition is proof to the public that the existence of shipping activities around the Sunda Kelapa port in the past was at the zero line of the meridian

According to Iwan Henry Wardhana, Agency Head of Jakarta Culture, there were several navigational collections regarding the Batavian Meridian Zero Line plus a complete explanation of ancient shipping activities that would be presented at the exhibition.

It was also a reminder and dissemination of important information for Jakartans regarding shipping activities around the Sunda Kelapa port in the past.

Ondel-ondel Creations from Batavia Art Collection

"This exhibition is proof to the public that the existence of shipping activities around the Sunda Kelapa port in the past was at the zero line of the meridian. Our hope is it can be a reminder of history for the community, as well as provide benefits for the continuity of information about history in Jakarta," he expressed, in Jakarta, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release, Tuesday (7/5).

Jakarta Maritime Museum Management Unit Head Mis'ari explained that the exhibition itself was intended to straighten out the perceptions and narratives circulating in the community regarding the zero kilometer point as a reference for sailing time.

"People's understanding of the zero point or line as a reference for sailing time is located at the zero kilometer monument in Yogyakarta and the zero kilometer point in Indonesia on Weh Island, Sabang, Aceh. The zero point or line at the museum is the correct time reference when sailing," he explained.

He went on to say that the zero line in question was zero longitudes which were indispensable during the active trading period in the Sunda Kelapa area at that time. However, the museum took the initiative to share more accurate information regarding the history of the zero meridian line through this exhibition.

As for the information, the zero meridian line is in the Signal Tower built in 1839 and is currently located in the Maritime Museum area, precisely at Jalan Pasar Ikan No. 1.

The building located in the Syahbandar Tower area is above the ex-Culemborg Bastion or the fort and the defensive wall of the city of Batavia which was built around 1645, along with the construction of the Batavia's wall on the west bank.

In the building, there is a most accurate clock and its equipment. Then, on the roof, a fixed time signal can be seen from a distance. By observing the signal, the ship crews anchored in the Bay of Batavia were able to adjust their ship's hours.

At that time, timekeepers were still needed by sailors to determine their position during sea voyages. The Batavia zero line meridian was still used for map production of Indonesia until 1942, even though from 1883 the Greenwich meridian was universally accepted as the prime meridian.

Then the Syahbandar Tower was built next to the building where the zero line is. This tower was built in 1839 and functions as a control tower, a traffic controller for ships entering and leaving the city of Batavia by sea.

Before port activities moved to Tanjung Priok Port, the tower had a function as a customs office or a place where people collected taxes on goods unloaded at the Sunda Kelapa Port.