Sion Church / Black Portuguese Church
Address: Jalan Pangeran Jayakarta No.1 Jakarta near Kota station.
Phone: The original name of the Sion church is “De Nieuwe Portugeesche Buitenkerk” or the “New Portuguese Church outside the walls”. The church was built just outside the city walls of Batavia.

    It has been erected with funding of VOC merchants, who were members of the Protestant church and build for Portuguese slaves who converted from Catholics to Protestants. These slaves received their freedom after they were converted and were called Mardijkers or liberated ones (Mardijk comes from the Sanskrit word Mardhikka which means freedom).

    In 1692 the building of the church was agreed and the drawings were made by Mr. Ewout Verhagen a merchant from Rotterdam. The first stone of the building was laid by Pieter van Hoorn on October 19th, 1693 and the church was finished within 2 years. The church was first used on Sunday October 1695 by Rev. Theodorus Zas.

    The church is built on a piece of land measuring 6.725 square meters, the church measures 24 x 32 meters. It is made out of bricks, with plastered walls, a granite floor and the framework has been made out of ebony wood, the roof is covered with high quality roof-tiles. The foundation rests on 10.000 round poles called “dolken”. Some people say that the whole wall of the church are made of bricks glued together using sand and heat resistance sugar. The building offers place to 1000 believers.

    This church is the oldest church in Jakarta that is still used for the same purpose it was erected. Most of the furniture used in this church is also the same furniture used from the 16th century. This church was renovated in 1920 and in 1978.

    In the Japanese occupation era in the mid of 19th century, Dai Nippon soldiers almost utilize this place as a urn storage. And in 1984, the church front yard was trimmed down by the government for public road widening.