Discover
Discover
The property includes the Kraton (palace) complex and a chain of landmarks, monuments and spaces along a six-kilometre south–north axis in central Yogyakarta. UNESCO describes it as an exceptional testimony to Javanese civilisation and to exchange between diverse belief systems and values.
History
History
Yogyakarta was laid out as the capital of a sultanate, with the axis linking the palace to monuments and spaces north and south. Symbolically, the axis is often described as connecting the volcano Merapi in the north with the ocean in the south, with the palace at its centre.
People & Culture
People & Culture
The plan shows how Javanese belief, blending older traditions with Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, was written into the city itself. For us, Yogyakarta is a city one can read on foot, from the palace gates to the great squares before it.
Living Heritage
Living Heritage
Yogyakarta still has a reigning sultan, who also serves as governor. The palace still holds traditional ceremonies, and gamelan music and Javanese court dance are practised and performed there. Unlike sites that survive only as ruins, this is a court still at work.
Explore Further