 In the 17th century, the city was also known as "Koningin van het Oosten" (Queen of the Orient), for the urban beauty of downtown Batavia's canals, mansions and ordered city layout.After expanding to the south in the 19th century, this nickname came to be more associated with the suburbs (e.g.Menteng and the area around Merdeka Square), with their wide lanes, green spaces and villas.