From the 1950’s, classic dance could be learnt by the common people from outside the Kraton (Palace). The first classic dance school was Siswo Among Bekso, which was founded by prince GBPH Yudhanegara and was located at “ndalem Kanoman”, one of the prince’s houses on Kadipaten street. The school still exists today and became a [...]

There are three mainstream of art traditions, which flourish among the Jogjanese people. They are Kraton, Folk and modern arts that are developed in art schools, colleges and institutes. These are three traditions influence each other and grow together.
Kraton arts are classic dance, dance-drama, macapat (Javanese singing), seni kriya (fine arts-painting, sculpture, ceramics). Folk arts [...]

Puro Pakualaman is located on Sultan Agung street, about 1 km East of Thre Kraton. The palace was built in 1813 by Prince Haryo Notokusumo, son of Sultan HB I, who was crowned by the British Governor General, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, and became Paku Alam I who ruled the sub district of Kasultanan in [...]

It is about 10 km from the cemetery of Panembahan Senopati in Kotagede. In imogiri cemetery you can see the royal tombs of the Mataram kings. This compound was built on top of a hill by Sultan Agung in 1645, he intended to use this as his royal tomb, In fact, Imogiri became the burial [...]

Taman Sari, if translated in Indonesian, means “Beautiful Garden”.  It is located about 10-minute walk from the Sultan’s Palace, just behind Ngasem Market. The place was built by the late Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I in 1757. Taman sari was used as a resort as well as bathing site for Sultan, his family and his [...]

Pura Pakualaman or the house of Paku Alam is a principality (Kadipaten) court located 2 km east of Keraton Yogyakarta. The existence of this principality is connected strongly to the history of Keraton Yogyakarta.  The history dated back to the year 1813, when Prince Notokusumo, the son of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I, was throned [...]

Gedung Agung Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta Presidential Palace) is located just across Vredeburg Fortress in Jl. Jendral Ahmad Yani. It was started being established during the Dutch colonial era in 1824 by a Dutch architect named A. Payen. But because the Diponegoro War (1825-1930) occurred during that period, the construction of the palace was postponed, and was [...]

Keraton Yogyakarta (or Yogyakarta Palace) is  the ground where the Sultan, his families and abdi dalem (courtiers) lives. It  stands at the center of  Yogyakarta city. The palace was built by the late Sultan Hamengkubuwono I at 1756, naming Ngayogyakarta Hardiningrat at that time. It consists of other building, walls, and two squares at the [...]