Sultan's Palace

Earlyish start to beat the crowds to the Kraton - Yogya's old city.

It was built in the 18th Century and centres on the Sultan's Palace.

Although built by a Muslim, it is laid out to represent the Hindu cosmos and is guarded by Buddhist guardian statues.





The inner courtyards were each built by a successive Sultan, including the current Sultan Hanengkuduwana X.

The Sultan is very popular with the locals. Yogja has free health and education unlike the rest of the country, those who live around the palace pay no rent and after the earthquake in 06 he personally helped many of those affected.

The couryards are dotted with little gazebos and covered walkways and are very peaceful. Elderly retainers in traditional batik dress and with ceremonial daggers wander around directing you and giving out information.

Some of the pagodas are beautifully decorated. The colours are red for Isalm, gold for Hinduism and black for Hinduism - the three historic religions of Java.











Although cockfighting is now illegal, the Sultan still likes to keep a collection of birds in cages around the palace.

Usually in the courtyard there are traditional dances and gamelan playing, but during Ramadan, verses from the Qu'ran are chanted aloud.

One of the early Sultans built a Water Garden. His concubines would swim in the pool here, while he watched from the tower and chose which one he wanted to invite to his private pool.

The complex includes an underground mosque, now no longer used.

Much of the site is in a poor state. It was restored in concrete by UNESCO in 2004, but the earthquake 2 years later did not help matters.

This is the Sultan's Gate, through which he would go back to his palace. The gardens used to be connected to the palace by canals, on which the Sultan would travel by canoe, while the girls waded.

Leaving the palace we had lunch in a backpackers restaurant (where we booked a tour for tomorrow) and then headed back to the hotel - the heat and the food having caught up with us a bit. Late afternoom recovering in the hotel, with a quick trip to McDonalds. Bless globalisation, sometimes you just want something you know.

Tomorrow is already our last full day on Java.