Maritime Museum set to officially reopen

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakartans and tourists alike will once again be able to enjoy the city's Maritime Museum when it officially reopens Friday.

Located next to Sunda Kelapa port, the museum was forced to close its doors when a series of high tides hit the area in November.

Floodwaters reached as high as 60 centimeters, forcing the museum's management team to move relics to the second floor of the building.

Museum head Dewi Rudiati said a series of renovations were undertaken at the museum while it was temporarily closed.

"We made minor changes, such as repainting the walls. Now we are rearranging our displays," she said.

Built in the 17th century, the museum originally served as a Dutch spice warehouse. The museum is now home to about 1,800 relics.

Several Japanese cargo ship replicas are also due to arrive at the museum in a few months.

"Previously we had on average between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors per month. We hope we can continue to attract visitors despite our limited budget," said Dewi.

She said museum staff were currently creating information labels in Indonesian and English to attract more foreign visitors.

She said in June, the museum will hold an exhibition titled "Jakarta, a city that started as a port", which will feature replicas of various ships that have docked in the Sunda Kelapa port over the years.

Lili, a visitor to the museum Wednesday, said she wanted to learn more about the museum after she heard about a wedding ceremony held there.

"This is the first time I've visited the museum," she said.

The resident of Kampung Baru in North Jakarta said she was very satisfied with her visit, despite the fact renovations were still continuing. (tif)