Water Castle

Tamansari

(Water Castle)

Formerly Tamansari was a recreation garden or a resting house for the Sultan and Family. The other resting houses including Warungboto, Manukberi, Ambarbingun, and Ambarrukmo functioned for the vacation and meditation for the royal family. The other function is used as hiding place for royal family to defend against the enemy assault.

Tamansari is located about 2 km south of Yogyakarta Palace. Built by Portuguese architect in European aquatic construction adorned with Javanese Symbolize ornaments. Tamansari was built in the Sultan Hamengku Buwono I period in the end of XVII Century. Tamansari not only just a recreation, but it's also a compound of bathing pool, canals, rooms and extremerly large swimming pool (if the canals opened).

The Tamansari complex consist of:

1.The Sacred Room.

There is the sacred place in the complex showing a separated building, which once functioned as a hermitage place for the Sultan and his family.

2. The Bathing Pool.
This part was formerly a pleasure place for the royal family. Consists of two bathing pool that are separated with a 2-storey building. From this building the Sultan watched all the women swimming in the outer pool. Then he might ask some of them to accompany him into the inner pool. The water sprouts from a forming animal statue into the pool. The pool is also adorned with some big flowerpot.



3. Kenanga or Cemeti IslandThis part compounds of some building such as Kenanga or Cemeti Island (forming Island), Sumur Gemuling and underground tunnels. This artificial island is a high building used as resting room and reconnoitering place. This will be the only building surfaced when the canals opened and the water over flew this area. From the higher place it like lotus floating in the middle of big pool.
Sumur Gemuling is building constructed in circle such a well (Javanese: sumur) where some rooms formerly used as praying room.
The tunnels in this area were underground passageways to the Sultan palace. The legend says about secret tunnel connecting to the south sea (Indian Ocean) where Nyai Roro Kidul or the Queen of the South has her palace. The supernatural Queen becomes the wife of Yogyakarta Sultan for many generations. This secret tunnels is gateway to the world where the Sultan meeting is supernatural wife. However the building also functioned as a hiding place for the royal family against the enemy attack.

Tamansari is an interesting place to visit. Besides the location is very closed to the Sultan palace, Tamansari has it owned speciality in attraction reflecting in some unimpaired ancient building and its atmosphere as the main tourist object of Yogyakarta.

Great Sultan's Palace

Great Sultan's Palace - Keraton

It is located in the center of the city of Yogyakarta or just Yogya as the local people call it. Karaton means a place where the Ratu-king lives, other word is Kedaton, with the same meaning. In the Javanese teachings, it has a deep philosophical meaning. The architect designer of this palace was Sultan Hamengkubuwono I himself, who was also the founder of the kingdom of NGAYOGYAKARTA HADININGRAT. His skill in architecture was appreciated by the dutch scientist - DR. Pigeund and DR. Adam who adored him as " the architect of his brother-Pakubuwono II of Surakarta".

The first king moved to his huge and magnificent Karaton on October 7, 1756. Although there are some European style of some parts of the building, structurally this is the vivid example of Javanese palace architecture. The 14.000 sq. m of the Karaton Yogya has deep philosophical meaning with all its building, courts, carving, trees, and location. This is a Karaton full of significant symbols of human life.

The mystical line of South Sea-Karaton-Mt. Merapi is believed to give strong protection to the Karaton, to the city and the region.

The populist king of Yogyakarta-the late Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX was the first king of Java who opened the palace to public. He was a fighter of the country’s independence, the Governor of Yogyakarta Special Region, the second Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia. One of his famous words was "Throne for the People" showing his progressive standpoint.

The policy of the late Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX is continued by his son and successor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, who said during his coronation ‘What for the throne and the tittle of Sultan (for me), if they are not beneficial to the society.

For the Javanese, a name has a meaning. The name of Hamengku Buwono means:

Hamangku : pleased to serve people
Hamengku : protect the people in a just way.
Hamengkoni : ready to take responsibility of a leader.

Furthermore he says that a great and powerful King (Ratu Gung Binatoro) is not an absolute power and feudalism but is a leader who has capability to protect the people in a just, prosperous and safe country where the people has the right to evaluate the work of the leader.

The present Sultan is also the Governor of Yogyakarta Special Region (Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, from traditional leader to Governor of Yogyakarta Special Region).

The Karaton and its highly valuable culture are well preserved, welcome to be visited and admired by local and International visitors.