Mataram is the capital of West Nusa Tenggara Province ( Nusa Tenggara Barat ) on the Indonesian island of Lombok . The city has around 400,000 inhabitants (as of 2010) and, together with Ampenan and Cakranegara, forms the largest population center on the island.
Mataram is characterized by wide, partly tree-lined streets, well-tended parks and numerous representative administrative buildings, which are particularly lined up on the main street Jalan Pejanggik . The town hall, the most important mosques and the Islamic Center are also located there. The city is the seat of the provincial government and the Universitas Mataram (UNRAM) founded in 1962 . Lombok International Airport is about 20 kilometers to the southeast . The Jangkok River flows through the city and flows into the Lombok Strait in Ampenan . The Pusat Bahasa University, founded in 1962, and the port are located in Ampenan . Cakranegara is the island's commercial center and has a Chinese community. The sights include u. a .:
In Ampenan, the outer port of Mataram about 5 km west of the center, there is the Chinese cemetery with numerous colorful grave monuments facing the sea. Many are flanked by guard figures typical of Taoism . Some nineteenth-century tombs with Dutch inscriptions have also been preserved.
In Ampenan, the Hindu temple Pura Segara built by the sea is also worth seeing. It rises in the densely built-up residential area called "Kampung Arab", whose name means "Arab village". Here boats are still made by hand in the traditional style without blueprints and colorfully decorated. Kampung Arab is also known for its fish market and night market.
The Nusa Tenggara Barat Museum, which provides information about the history, fauna, geology and culture of the Nusa Tenggara Barat province, is located at the transition from Ampenan to Mataram.
The Hindu temple Pura Meru in Cakranegara, which was built in 1720 and consists of three high thatched multi-level shrines (so-called Meru) and 33 smaller shrines, is the largest Hindu temple in Lombok. The middle Meru with its eleven steps symbolizes the dwelling place of Shiva, the northern Meru with nine steps corresponds to the dwelling place of Wishnu and the shrine with the seven steps corresponds to the dwelling place of the god Brahma. According to another interpretation, the three Meru represent the three sacred mountains of Indonesia: Rinjani , Agung and Bromo.
Opposite, on the other side of Jalan Separang , there is a pond with an artificial island on the site of the former palace from 1744, on which a small temple was built. The entire complex, Mayura Water Palace , was the site of fighting between Balinese insurgents and Dutch troops in 1894, so little of the original buildings has survived.
The town hall and the provincial administration building, both located on Jalan Pejanggik in well-tended green areas.
The buildings of the Universitas Mataram, surrounded by well-tended green areas.
The Catholic Church Maria Immaculata, built in 2009, with around 500 seats and two church towers that can be seen from afar, forms an attractive contrast to the numerous mosques in the city.
The new Mataram Mall .
In the south of Mataram, the new Rumah Sakit Umum hospital is an architectural specialty.
history
At the beginning of the 18th century, Mataram was the residence of the Crown Prince of Karang Asem , a kingdom in southern Bali .
