The National Monument or popularly abbreviated as Monas or Tugu Monas is a 132-meter (433 ft) tall memorial monument built to commemorate the resistance and struggle of the Indonesian people to seize independence from the Dutch East Indies colonial government. Construction of the monument began on August 17, 1961 under the orders of President Sukarno, and was opened to the public on July 12, 1975. The monument is crowned with a tongue of flame covered in gold leaf symbolizing the burning spirit of struggle. The National Monument is located right in the middle of Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. The National Monument and museum are open every day from 06.00 - 16.00 WIB, throughout the week except Monday when the monument is closed.