Surabaya or known as the City of Heroes is the capital city of province of East Java which is also the second largest city in Indonesia. It is located on the northern shore of eastern Java.
And if you are not Indonesian, you might be wondering why people also call it as the City of Heroes. It is actually due to the importance of one of the battles that occurred in the city called Surabaya Battle. This battle to this day is still one of the most heroic and historic battles that occurred in Indonesia that also had great impact in Indonesian Independence.
Surabaya – Etymology and History
For some people that are not locals, this etymology might be one of the most interesting things about Surabaya. The name of this city is believed by locals to be derived from two words which are Sura and also Baya. Those two words are believed to be mythical creatures in the forms of a shark “Sura” and also a crocodile “Baya”. It is because in Javanese, baya means crocodile. And this myth, those two creatures told to have a fight over who was the strongest and also most powerful animal in the land. And until this day, those two animals are used as the symbol for this city.
Surabaya Monumen
On the early day, Surabaya was a sultanate and also known as a major political and also military power in eastern Java. And when Dutch entered this city, they made it as a major trading center and according to some records; it also hosted the largest naval base for Dutch colony. Then on October 30, 1945 we had Surabaya Battle that was triggered by the killing of the British Brigadier Mallaby near Red Bridge or as locals call it JembatanMerah.
Popular Cultures
Like any other parts of Indonesian regions, Surabaya also has very rich cultures from the original cultures or cultures assimilation. It is due to many ethnics that live and settle in the city such as local people like native Surabaya and also Madura people and of course there are also other foreign ethnics that also thrive there as well such as Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian, and Europe