Yogyakarta, In the Cradle of Art: "My Indonesia" Photo Series (8) - PART ONE

Kraton. YOGYAKARTA – 9 August 2014

I visited Yogyakarta once in 2014. 

When someone asks me where to go on holiday in Indonesia, I always suggest to avoid the extravagant Bali, or at least not only there. Jakarta is a complicated city for difficult tastes, Bandung area is interesting, and Borneo is adventurous and wild, but certainly every person who wants to understand Indonesia should visit Yogyakarta, especially those who love art, because it is the cradle of Indonesian artistic culture.

Not to mention the two UNESCO-listed monumental complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan, and the royal palace Kraton where the Sultan resides, dating from the 18th century.

An old lady prepares the traditional Cenil for sale on the street. Malioboro

Through the streets of Maliboro, the center of the city. YOGYAKARTA – 7 August 2014

This city was also the capital of Indonesia from January 1946 to December 1948, after the Dutch conquered Jakarta.

In 2006, a terrible 6.3 magnitude earthquake devastated the city, causing nearly 6000 deaths, especially in the Bantul region.

Merapi volcano is also still active, north of Yogyakarta.

Rice planters. Jalan Jogonalan, Bantul. YOGYAKARTA – 10 August 2014

Old lady. Bantul. YOGYAKARTA – 10 August 2014

Borobudur is a Mahāyāna Buddhist monument dating back to 800 AD.

It has a base of 123 x 123 meters with a height of 35 meters, resting on 1,600,000 stone blocks and covered with 2,672 bas-reliefs.

Its architect was Gunadharma.

Borobudur. YOGYAKARTA – 9 August 2014

The Prambanan Temple is a complex of Hindu temples built in 850 AD. from the second king of the Mataram dynasty.

Its three main temples are dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva: it is considered the greatest Hindu monument of Indonesia.

Prambanan. YOGYAKARTA – 7 August 2014

Certainly one of the most intense memories that I bring with me from that city was the afternoon at the Parangtritis beach in Bantul.

A long beach with splendid light, crowded with people and many families; I had fun photographing people being careful not to take the crowd behind them, I liked to give the idea that who looked at the photos feel that they were completely alone, in the deserted shore. The shore is always a magical place to photograph, thanks to the mirror reflections on the wet sand.

Parangtritis Beach. Bantul. YOGYAKARTA – 10 August 2014

Another emotional memory was to enter the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, known as Ganjuran Church, in Bantul, the oldest church in the regency, from 1924. The church is in pure Javanese style, and Christian iconography merges in an amazing way – and totally new for a Western visitor – with the Java wayang style. The Dutch scholars themselves described this church as the most dramatic manifestation of a Catholic church adapted to the Javanese culture, of pure Hindu imprint: in short, it seems to see Jesus and Mary in Ramayana version.

Ganjuran Church. Bantul. YOGYAKARTA – 10 August 2014

The mosques are also very beautiful and, surely, the most famous and visited is the Sumur Gumuling Mosque, in the Kraton area. This was the ancient mosque inside the royal palace, and has a circular (“gumuling”)  plan that drops below ground level. You enter the Mosque through a single door through which you can go down to the lower floors with labyrinth corridors, which reminds us that we were made of the soil and we will return to it. At the top of the building there are five stairs to represent the five Pillars of Islam. 

Gede Kauman mosque

Sumur Gumuling mosque. YOGYAKARTA – 11 August 2014

Market. Kampung Alun-Alun, Kotagede. YOGYAKARTA – 8 August 2014

Italian version

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