Access to Between Two Gates in Purbayan, Yogyakarta Closed as Managers Highlight Visitor Ethics
The ‘Between Two Gates’ heritage tourism entrance in Purbayan Village, Kotagede, Yogyakarta, has been temporarily closed to visitors. This closure follows a social media post on Threads by a resident expressing discomfort caused by the unethical behaviour of some visitors.
‘We apologise, but as residents, we feel uncomfortable with the manners of some visitors; therefore, with a heavy heart, I am closing the gate,’ wrote the account @gus_patub2 in a Threads post seen on Tuesday (2/6/2026).
Between Two Gates is known as an icon of the Purbayan Tourism Village, featuring rows of traditional Javanese houses with a characteristic alleyway that frequently attracts tourists for photography and social media content.
Upon visiting the location, the gate was indeed closed, with a notice posted at the entrance stating: ‘We apologise. Today, the Between Two Gates area is closed to tourist visits. Management of BTG’.
When confirmed, the manager of the Between Two Gates area and Chairman of RW 9 Kampung Alun-alun, Joko Nugroho, explained that the temporary closure is the culmination of various resident complaints regarding visitors who fail to recognise that the area is part of a residential neighbourhood.
Joko explained that the primary trigger for the closure occurred on Sunday morning (31/5/2024), when approximately 70 tourists arriving in two buses entered the Between Two Gates area at around 07:00 WIB without prior notice.
‘There was a group of guests, likely from Jakarta, travelling from Jakarta. Two buses dropped people off at the mosque complex and went straight into Between Two Gates. It was 7:00 am. Because there were so many people from two buses and no prior notice, many residents were startled,’ Joko said on Tuesday (2/6/2026).
‘They entered without permission from the management at 7:00 am, creating a very crowded and noisy atmosphere, despite there being a notice that opening hours begin at 08:00 and certain activities require permission,’ he added.
He further clarified that the area known as Between Two Gates is not a public space, but rather an alleyway situated between nine residential houses. While residents have previously agreed to allow tourist access, it remains subject to specific regulations.