JP/17/KOTA

JP/17/KOTA

Kotagede restores its past glories

Tarko Sudiarno
The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

Eight kilometers southeast of Yogyakarta, Kotagede is an area
blessed with priceless treasures, as it used to be the center of
the Mataram kingdom.

Now the city has become a prominent destination for tourists
in Yogyakarta, mostly because of its outstanding silver and gold
jewelry industry.

Entering the city, rows of shops selling silver and gold
souvenirs will welcome visitors, with eye-catching, shiny jewelry
on display.

Snuggling among the shops are typical Kotagede houses. The
well-preserved mansions are a legacy of the city's past
prosperity.

One particular area was, in the past, predominantly inhabited
by the Kalang tribe, a group of merchants who settled in
Kotagede. The Yogyakarta ruler, Sultan Agung, allocated a plot of
land where they could build residences, one of the rewards they
received for reviving business in his sultanate.

A stone fort separates the neighborhood from other residential
areas. Kalang means "fence" in Javanese, so the term may
describe the way the people lived, fenced in.

Because most of the merchants traveled extensively to many
places, their dwellings showed how rich were their tastes. Most
of the buildings are a blend of European and Javanese
architectural styles.

The typical houses are popular as Saudagaran style (saudagar
means merchant in Javanese).

The haughtiness of the merchants is reflected in the story of
Prawiro Soewarno, who was called Pak Tembong. In the 1800s,
during the Dutch colonial era, the wealthy merchant built a two-
story house on the west side of the Gajah Uwong River. He inlaid
the floor with Dutch gold coins.

As soon as the Dutch administrators heard about the floor, Pak
Tembong was ordered by Dutch administrators to remove it as it
was an insult to have the Dutch queen's face, featured on the
coins, on the floor.

The administrators obviously did not want their queen's face
stepped on by commoners. It was unclear whether or not Pak
Tembong complied with the order.

Tembong's house still stands sturdily today on Jl. Tegalgendu
and in 1990 the house was bought by Suyatin Ansor, who turned it
into a business center housing a souvenir shop, restaurant,
lounge and boutique residence.

Sekar Kedhaton Restaurant, Lounge and Boutique Residence
marketing communications manager Ike Wahyu said it took almost
four years to restore the beauty of the Saudagaran-style house.

Statues of fierce-looking twin dragons guard the front gate --
an original feature at the property.

The main building is a typical, European-style building with
high ceiling and spacious rooms. Huge pillars and wood carvings
paint green and yellow resemble those in the Yogyakarta sultan's
palace.

The lavish ornaments and historical background of the
building, particularly the dining room, also provide an ideal
setting for royal cuisine served as rijsttafel (a meal comprising
rice and various side dishes).

This kind of place is becoming trendy in Kotagede, with a lot
of businesspeople converting old buildings into business
establishments that retain their original architecture.

So, no wonder that holidaymakers can now enjoy wedang jahe (a
hot drink made of ginger and palm sugar) and kipo (sticky rice
cake with shredded coconut and palm sugar filling, typical of
Kotagede) under a full moon at a Saudagar house, imagining how it
might have been like to be a wealthy merchant.