Kasepuhan Palace Cirebon

Cirebon is a border area between two great cultures on the island of Java, the Javanese and Sundanese culture. As a border region, Cirebon culture is a “mixture” of these two great cultures. For example, Cirebon people can understand and communicate with Sundanese and Javanese. However, Cirebon apparently also absorbed influences from other cultures, such as China and the Netherlands (Europe), as shown in several historic buildings in this area.

Assimilation of different cultures makes Cirebon become a dynamic area. Moreover, since the days of maritime trade, Cirebon had held the role as a bridge between eastern and western part of Java Island. Merchant ships in the old days often stop at the port of Cirebon. In fact, Cirebon finally became an important producer region that produces a variety of profitable commodities such as shrimp and rebon (small shrimp).

Surosowan Palace

One can only see this palace’s shape through archeological reconstruction. The building is no longer complete. The only parts remaining are the ruins of its walls and traces of its square rooms’ foundation. Long time ago, this palace was the most important place for Banten people. Here lived the sultans of Banten, since Sultan Maulana Hasanudin (1552) to Sultan Haji who was on throne in 1672-1687.

Palace in Diplomacy

Eight women and four men in Javanese costume danced to fast-tempo gamelan, (Javanese traditional music) played by musicians also wearing Javanese costume. Indonesia Channel 2009, a dance and music festival, was performed by 50 students from 31 countries who were granted 2009 Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarships from the Foreign Ministry.

The performance took place in the Mangkunegaran Palace, or Pura Mangkunegan, courtyard in Pamedan, Surakarta, Central Java, and was well-received by its audience on Sunday night. The artists performed at least nine Balinese, Sundanese and Javanese traditional dances accompanied by traditional music also played by the foreign students.

Yogyakarta Palace

One of the well-known palace in Indonesia is Yogyakarta Palace (Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat). Together with Solo Palace, it has been considered as the main pillar of Javanese culture, although “Javanese” here was a term still contested among many part of the Island.

Historic palace

The history of Yogyakarta Palace stretched back to 13 February 1755, when two factions of the Mataram kingdom sign Giyanti Treaty. The treaty decided that the kingdom was to split into two parts. Areas on the east side of Opak River would be Surakartan's and the wes side would belong to a new kingdom called Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. The first king of the kingdom was Pangeran Mangkubumi, who reign as Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. The two palaces (later they were split again into four palaces) develop cultures unique of their own and some said that they are actually contesting their cultures.