Kotagede, a typical Javanese city<\/p>\n
By Bambang M.<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Kotagede is usually associated with silver
\nhandicraft items because the industry has become its trademark.
\nIn fact, the southeast area offers more than that.<\/p>\n
Kotagede is a typical Javanese traditional city with all the
\ncharacteristics.<\/p>\n
Kotagede, which originally was called Mentaok, was the first
\nIslamic Mataram kingdom founded by Danang Sutawijaya, who later
\nadopted the royal name Panembahan Senopati after ascending to the
\nthrone in 1575.<\/p>\n
The capital city was designed following the basic
\narchitectural pattern called catur tunggal (four in one). At the
\ncenter was the palace where the king resided. In front of the
\npalace was a square, and a mosque was built on the left-hand side
\nand a marketplace on the right.<\/p>\n
\"The citizens' housing complexes around the palace served as a
\nshield to protect the palace from enemy attacks,\" said a lecturer
\nof philosophy at Gadjah Mada University, Ahmad Charris Zubair,
\nwho is also chairman of the Center for the Study, Documentation
\nand Development of Kotagede Culture (Pusdok).<\/p>\n
The commoner's houses were built on the property of
\naristocrats, and this had a social meaning. It indicated that the
\nmore people who lived on the aristocrat's property, the more
\nrespected the aristocrat was.<\/p>\n
Five centuries later, we can still find the remains of the
\nfirst Islamic Mataram kingdom. The palace is in ruins and the
\nsquare is occupied by residents, but the marketplace and the
\nmosque still exist and are in use after renovation.<\/p>\n
The palace is in the present-day village of Jagalan.<\/p>\n
Other remaining historical sites of the first Islamic Mataram
\nkingdom are Watu Gilang and Batu Gateng, Panembahan Senopati's
\ntomb, fort, Sendang (spring) Saliran and Gapura (gate) Paduraksa.<\/p>\n
The approximately 19,000 Kotagede residents now live in
\nancient villages built at the same time as the palace.<\/p>\n
\"This can be traced back to the names of the villages -- they
\nhad historical-functional relationships with the ancient Mataram
\nkingdom,\" said Zubbair.<\/p>\n
The villages were usually named after the residents'
\noccupations. For example, Prenggan was a village where its
\ncitizens were producers of kris frames, while Purbayan was where
\nnoble families resided, Mondorakan was where Ki Ageng Pemanahan
\nlived, Sayangan was where men who made copper handicrafts lived
\nand Jagalan was where butchers resided.<\/p>\n
These villages of old dwellings also had many old Javanese
\nhouses with joglo architecture. These houses are situated on the
\nsides of narrow lanes only two meters wide and are surrounded
\nwith high walls. If you visit there, you would feel you have
\nstepped back into another time.<\/p>\n
Among the joglo houses are also big European-style houses. In
\nancient times, owners of these houses were gold, silver and
\nbronze merchants who had business in European countries.<\/p>\n
Zubair said the joglo houses that still exist today were
\ngenerally constructed in the 19th century. From his 1985 study,
\nhe found 170 joglo houses in Jagalan, Alun-alun, Purbayan,
\nPrenggan and Basen. The oldest can be found in Purbayan and
\nPrenggan. But because of their poor condition, many houses have
\nbeen renovated.<\/p>\n
Many historical joglo houses are in bad shape and their future
\nis in doubt. One belonging to Sopingen in Prenggan is a typical
\nexample. It no longer has a front verandah because he sold part
\nof the property. The same thing happened to the Bakris' joglo
\nhouse. In some cases, the old houses are abandoned and neglected.<\/p>\n
It turns out that it is not only old houses which have
\ndeteriorated. Much of the furniture, such as gebyog (meticulously
\ncarved partitions made of teakwood), regol (a fence gate made of
\nteakwood) and antique wardrobes, have been sold.<\/p>\n
\"All this happened because of economic hardships,\" said
\nSholehuddin Basyori, the Jagalan village chief in Kotagede.<\/p>\n
According to Pusdok's records, the oldest joglo house which is
\nstill intact and well-maintained is the one owned by Prawiraharjo
\nPH in Jagalan village. The house, occupied by his son, Soediyo
\nPrasetyo, was built in 1750 by Raden Djimat Amadalem Hanomtapsir
\nI, whose royal title was Raden Ngabei Djajaniman, father of
\nPrawiroharjo PH.<\/p>\n
Soediyo said Raden Ngabehi Djajaniman was the 11th generation
\nof Sultan Hadiwijoyo, also known as Joko Tingkir, the founder of
\nPajang kingdom and the fifth descendant of Raden Tumenggung
\nWiroguna, the central figure in the Javanese folk legend, Roro
\nMendut -- Pronocitro.<\/p>\n
\"Even before the government made an appeal for old houses to
\nbe preserved as cultural heritage, my father told me that this
\nhouse would be kept for the family,\" said Soediyo.<\/p>\n
The house was neglected and unoccupied between 1948 and 1980
\nbut it underwent a major renovation between 1985 and 1990.<\/p>",
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