Gereja Ayam: The Intriguing Chicken Church of Indonesia”

Gereja Ayam or literally translated as the chicken church is an abandoned building located in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. This building is quite unique since it is located on a hillside and basically in the middle of a forest. Yes, even though the name has “church” in it, it never was one. It was a long, complicated history that led the building to be unfinished and completely abandoned.

All You Need to Know about Gereja Ayam Magelang

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For you who are interested in Gereja Ayam and want to visit it someday, take a good look at this information, and make sure you can read everything below before visiting the location. It will give you the information of all you need to know when visiting the location, including what to do there. Well, here is the information for everyone wanting to find out more about the church chicken.

Where is the Location of Gereja Ayam?

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As stated before, Gereja Ayam is located in Magelang, Central Java. Magelang is a small city but not too far away from Yogyakarta. If you are coming from Yogyakarta and headed to Magelang, it will only take an hour or so to get there. The location of the church’s chicken is in the middle of a vast forest, but this place is well-known already. Moreover, you can find the direction straight away when you are visiting the location.

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The Story Behind the Chicken Church

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Besides the shape of this building which literally resembles a chicken or a dove, as some people say, the most interesting thing about this place is the history. People want to know why the Gereja Ayam is there in the first place. Who built such a unique building in the middle of the literal forest and on a hill? Well, it is indeed a long story, and it began in the early 1990s.

It was an architect named Daniel Alamsjah. He had a vision of a creature with dove-like features telling him to build the building right in the location, and so he did. Until today, it is still unknown what the purpose of this building is because it is definitely not related to religious purposes. However, considering there are a lot of unfinished rooms in the dungeons, the purpose is probably cynical.

A lot of people think the building is going to be used as the home for troubled people like drug addicts or anyone thought to be unfitted for society. They will be sent there and try to get rehabilitated. However, it is just a rumor and has never proven to be true. It is a unique story, though.

What Can We Do There?

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When you are visiting Gereja Ayam, there are many things you can do, including taking pictures in front of the chicken-like exterior of the building. In addition, you can also go to the top of this building with lots of stairs going up. From there, you can basically see the beauty of the surrounding forest, and see the bits of Magelang city from up above, which is so cool.

Is There any Entrance Fee?

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Gereja Ayam Jogja or Magelang, to be precise, is now so popular. Back then, there is no entrance fee and legally, there should never be. However, since the place has gained popularity, probably there will be an entrance fee set by the surrounding community of the location.

If there are any, it should never be too expensive, though, because there is no facility whatsoever around the building. It is believed the current entrance fee is around IDR 10.000 or less. It is still considered cheap and affordable, so everyone can visit the place with ease.

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How to Get There?

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The exact location of the building is in Bukit Rhema or Rhema Hill, Setumbu, Magelang. If you are coming from Jogjakarta, you need to take a ride up north to Magelang. Once you are in Magelang, you have to take a route to Puntuk Setumbu.

Once you are in Punthuk Setumbu, you will find the parking area for cars and motorcycles visiting the place. From there, take a walk right to the church. It is quite a long walk, but the surrounding view is so amazing you won’t feel like walking up so long. It is like trekking but with less dangerous terrain to face.

Those are the basic details. Indeed, the location is one of the most unique places in Magelang, Jawa Tengah/Central Java. The location is remote, and from there you can see the magnificent views and feel the fresh air, too. For those who want to go there and come from Jakarta or other locations in Indonesia, book a flight to Central Java by using Airpaz.com or use the Airpaz App. Then, you just go to the Gereja Ayam effortlessly.

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