Kotagede: The Past of the Present

Kotagede is only a 'kecamatan' (a district) in the current Yogyakarta City. It is located on the south east of the City. Though not in the center, it has been playing very important roles for the City and even the whole nation. In the past, it used to be the capital of the Islamic Mataram Kingdom, before being moved to the current City of Yogyakarta. It was first established by His Royal Highness Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I. As a capital, it used to have a Kraton (Royal Palace), a Masjid, a Market, a Cemetery, surrounding kampongs and of course the loyal people. We can still trace their existence until today. Coming back to the recent time, it now becomes one of the iconic tourist destinations in Yogyakarta. Then, a few years ago, local people started to set up a 'Tourism village'. The village offers tourists cultural events and daily activities to watch and its kampung setting to explore. Those existing heritages, along with the 'tourism village' are the main attractions, both for local and foreign tourists. While foreigners are interested to learn about the history, many of the locals are more attracted by some beautiful spots to take selfie photos. Whatever your purpose is, when visiting Yogyakarta, please come and explore the atmosphere of Kotagede yourself.