Surabaya — Histories
How Surabaya came to be, in a short timeline, plus the buildings and monuments where you can still see it.
Timeline
- 1037Early kingdoms
Hujung Galuh in Airlangga's Kamalagyan inscription
King Airlangga's Kamalagyan inscription records a dam at Waringin Sapta built to stop the Brantas flooding fields, and names the people of Hujung Galuh, a river-mouth port often linked to early Surabaya.
- 31 May 1293Majapahit
Victory over the Mongol army
Raden Wijaya's forces defeat the Mongol (Yuan) expedition, clearing the way for the Majapahit kingdom. In 1975 the city chose 31 May 1293 as its official birthday, Hari Jadi Kota Surabaya.
- 1358Majapahit
Śūrabhaya named in a Majapahit inscription
The Trowulan I inscription lists Śūrabhaya as a village on the Brantas river, one of the earliest written records of the city's name.
- c. 1421Early Islam
Sunan Ampel founds his mosque
Raden Rahmat, remembered as Sunan Ampel, builds a mosque at Ampel Denta with his companions, making Surabaya an early centre for spreading Islam in Java.
- 1625Mataram
Mataram conquers Surabaya
After years of attacks and a long siege, Sultan Agung of Mataram captures Surabaya, ending its days as an independent power on Java's north coast.
- 11 Nov 1743Colonial
Surabaya passes to the VOC
Under an agreement with Pakubuwono II of Mataram, control of Surabaya passes to the Dutch East India Company, the start of two centuries of Dutch rule over the port.
- 14 Sep 1829Colonial
De Javasche Bank opens in Surabaya
The colonial central bank opens its Surabaya branch in the trading quarter by the Kalimas, a sign of the port's growing commercial weight.
- 1878Colonial
The Red Bridge is rebuilt in iron
The wooden crossing over the Kalimas is replaced by an iron bridge painted red, the Roode Brug, joining the European quarter to the Chinese and Arab districts on the east bank.
- 1 Apr 1906Colonial
Surabaya becomes a municipality
The colonial government makes Surabaya a gemeente (municipality). The city celebrated this date as its birthday until 1975.
- 1911Colonial
Hotel Oranje opens
Lucas Martin Sarkies, of the Sarkies hotel family, opens Hotel Oranje, later renamed Hotel Yamato and then Hotel Majapahit, as Surabaya's grand colonial hotel.
- 19 Sep 1945Revolution
Flag incident at Hotel Yamato
A month after independence, the Dutch raise their flag over Hotel Yamato. Angry young Surabayans climb the tower and tear off the blue stripe, leaving Indonesia's red and white flying.
- 10 Nov 1945Revolution
Battle of Surabaya
After Brigadier Mallaby is killed near Jembatan Merah on 30 October, British forces launch a full assault on 10 November. Weeks of fighting make the city a symbol of resistance, and the date is now Heroes' Day.
- 10 Nov 1952Modern
Tugu Pahlawan is unveiled
President Sukarno inaugurates the Heroes Monument exactly one year after laying its first stone, on the site of a former colonial courthouse.
- 10 Nov 2000Modern
Al-Akbar National Mosque opens
President Abdurrahman Wahid inaugurates the Al-Akbar mosque. Begun in 1995 and delayed by the Asian financial crisis, it is now Indonesia's second-largest mosque by capacity.
- 10 Jun 2009Modern
Suramadu Bridge opens
The 5.4 km Suramadu Bridge opens across the Madura Strait, giving Surabaya its first fixed road link to Madura. Tolls were abolished in 2018.
See: Suramadu Bridge - 3 Jul 2024Modern
Kota Lama Surabaya relaunched
After restoration work, the city opens the old trading quarter around Jembatan Merah and Jalan Rajawali as the Kota Lama heritage district, with the Chinese and Arab zones next in line.
Heritage sites
Tugu Pahlawan & Museum Sepuluh Nopember
Surabaya's defining landmark: a white 'inverted nail' honouring the 1945 battle, with a sunken museum of dioramas and relics beneath it.
Old town district2Kota Lama Surabaya (Old Town)
The restored colonial trading quarter around Jalan Rajawali, with grand company offices and cobbled streets, relaunched as a heritage district in 2024.
Mosque & pilgrimage site3Sunan Ampel Mosque & Tomb
One of Java's oldest mosques and the tomb of Sunan Ampel, reached through a lively covered market lane in Surabaya's Arab quarter.
Heritage hotel4Hotel Majapahit (former Hotel Yamato)
Grand colonial hotel on Jalan Tunjungan where young Surabayans tore the blue off a Dutch flag in 1945. It is still a working hotel today.
Historic bridge5Jembatan Merah (Red Bridge)
The red-painted bridge over the Kalimas that once joined the European and Chinese quarters, and a fierce battleground in late 1945.
Museum ship6Monumen Kapal Selam (Submarine Monument)
A real Soviet-built navy submarine, KRI Pasopati 410, set on the bank of the Kalimas, which you can walk through from bow to stern.
Museum7Museum De Javasche Bank
A free museum in the grand former De Javasche Bank building in Kota Lama, with a historic vault of colonial-era money and old banking gear.
Museum8Museum Surabaya (Gedung Siola)
A free city museum inside the landmark Siola building at the top of Jalan Tunjungan, tracing Surabaya's social and cultural life.
Colonial building9Balai Pemuda & Alun-alun Surabaya
An elegant 1907 colonial clubhouse turned arts and youth centre, with the Alun-alun Surabaya plaza and the city's tourist information desk.
Chinese temple10Klenteng Hong Tiek Hian
By tradition Surabaya's oldest Chinese temple, tucked into a narrow Pecinan lane and known for its daily wayang potehi glove-puppet shows.
Church11Gereja Kepanjen (Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary)
A neo-Gothic Catholic church from 1900, a short walk from Tugu Pahlawan, with stained-glass windows and a cross-shaped plan.