My fascination with cemeteries continues, this time with a photo walk in Taman Prasasti Museum, a museum of graves, mostly Europeans who died in Jakarta during the colonial period. Set in a quiet area in the heart of the city, just behind the Museum Nasional, the museum is a different sort of tour for those who want to know more about the history of Jakarta. It’s pretty easy to get to, and for a change, most locals can direct you there too: 

The museum is notable for a couple of aspects: one, some famous people are buried here (Thomas Stamford Raffles‘ first wife, Olivie), and the other, being a Christian cemetery, the headstones are elaborate. There’s usually nobody there, barring a few caretakers – friendly folks who let you alone. The carriages at the entrance lobby transport you to the colonial times and are a delight to photograph.

It is called a museum, and managed by the Jakarta History Museum, but has a somewhat ‘forgotten’ look of plenty of overgrown grass, unraked leaves, cats and birds frolicking, that makes it more attractive than if it were ultra spick and span.

Like I said, the headstones are interesting.

We didn’t look to carefully for the tomb of Olivie Raffles, but that can be a project for another time.