The National Monument of Indonesia

The National Monument is one of the famous monuments in Indonesia. It is located in Central Jakarta. The National Monument is a 433 ft (132 meter) tower in the center of Merdeka Square. It is symbolizing the fight for Indonesia's independence. Construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Sukarno and the monument was opened to the public in 1975. It is topped by a flame covered with gold foil.
The monument is designed by Frederich Silaban and R.M. Soedarsono. Soedarsono incorporated the numbers 17, 8 and 45, representing the 17 August 1945 Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, in the dimensions of the monument. The monument is begun to build in n 17 Agustus 1961.
The memorial forms that one is very unique, is a stone made of marble obeliks yoni phallus-shaped fertility symbol based on Hindu culture. At the top of the national monument there is cup-shaped supporting bronze torches weighing 14.5 tons and 35 kg of gold coated. Torch or flame flaming is a symbol of fighting spirit that never goes out Indonesian citizen in gaining the independence.
On the outer yard encircling the monument, on each four corners, there are high reliefs of Indonesian History. The reliefs and statues were made from molded cement, but several of these statues are already damaged and have decayed due to torrential rain and the tropical climate.