Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Yogyakarta, Indonesia (22 June 2004)


Yogyakarta is one of the most culturally rich cities of Indonesia. It can be regarded as the quintessential Indonesian city, one that personifies its sound, its sights, its smells. Often written as Jogjakarta or simply abbreviated to Jogja and Yogya, Jogjakarta is the name of the city as well as province in central Java, Indonesia.

Yogyakarta holds the distinction of being the only Indonesian province that is still governed by a precolonial Sultanate, the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. The city is known as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows. The official name of the Yogyakarta province is Special Region of Yogyakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, or DIY). The city of Yogyakarta is the capital of the province.

Places of Interest in Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta History

The sultanate of Jogjakarta, formally the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, was formed in 1755 when the Sultanate of Mataram was divided into two by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The division created the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta and the Sultanate of Surakarta, with the capitals being Yogyakarta and Surakarta respectively. Sultan Hamengkubuwono I of Yogyakarta built his new capital, centred around his palace, called Kraton, using the court of Surakarta as blueprint. By the time of his death, his territory has exceeded Surakarta's.

During Indonesia's fight for independence, the capital of Indonesia was temporarily shifted to Jogjakarta because of Dutch occupation of Jakarta, from 1946 until 1950. When Indonesia achieved independence, the Sultan of Jogjakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, declared Yogya to be part of the newly created Republic of Indonesia. In return, the new Indonesian government granted Yogyakarta the status of Special Regional Province, with the Sultan acting as Governor for life.

The present ruler of Yogyakarta is his son, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. When the elder sultan died, the Indonesian government insisted on an election for a new governor, even though the position of governor, according to the agreement with Indonesia, was to pass to his heir. So an election was held to choose a governor, and Sultan Hamengkubuwono X won the election, and was elected governor in defiance of the will of the central government.

Travel to Yogyakarta

The Adisucipto (or Adisutjipto) International Airport is the principal airport serving Yogyakarta. It is located in kabupaten (distict) Sleman in the northern part of Yogyakarta Special Region. The airport only became an international airport as late as February 21st, 2004, with the first international flight connecting it to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with the flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. The elevation of Adisucipto to international airport is expected to boost trade and tourist for Yogyakarta which previously depended on Bali and Jakarta as the gateway.

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