I Love Indonesia

Architecture of Indonesia The Architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonisers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques. Traditionally, the most significant foreign influence has been Indian. However, Chinese, Arabâ€"and since the 18th and 19th centuriesâ€"European influences have played significant roles too in shaping Indonesian architecture. Although religious architecture has been widespread in Indonesia, the most significant was developed in Java. The island's long tradition of religious syncretism extended to architecture, which fostered uniquely Javanese styles of Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and to a lesser extent, Christian architecture. A number of often large and sophisticated religious structures were built in Java during the peak of Indonesia's great Hindu-Buddhist ...