Kraton Yogyakarta is a Sultan Palace, founded in 1756 by Prince Mangkubumi (Hamengkubuwono I) as a center of the Kingdom Ngayogyakarta. The palace was built on swamp ground called Bannerman Pachetokan and later developed into pesangrahan Ayogya.
The palace building stretches from north to south. In the front side of the palace you can find the square so called "Plaza North" and the backyard is called "Southern Square". The design of this building shows that the Palace, Tugu Monument and Mount Merapi are in one line / axis which is believed to be sacred. In the past Sri Sultan (King of Ngayogyakarta Kingdom) regularly mediated in place laid within the axis before leading a meeting or give orders to subordinates.
At 6.50am on 27 May 2006, a 6.5 richter earthquake hit South of Yogyakarta. Thousands of houses were damaged, hundreds of people lost their lives and many sustained serious injuries in the tragedy. What began as a peaceful morning turned into a tragic day. In the middle of Yogyakarta city, the earthquake destroyed the 246 year old Bangsal Trajumas (Trajumas Hall), a building in Kraton Yogyakarta that is used to display gamelan music equipment.
Reconstruction has been completed, so if you pass through the alley in Kraton Yogyakarta, you will see the Bangsal Trajumas in the left side. And the right side is Bangsal Sri Manganti (Sri Manganti Hall), which is used by the Sultan, King of Jogjakarta, to welcome guests. The Sultan's guests are treated to gamelan traditional music, dance and shadow puppet shows.
Sri Manganti means Raja Menanti in the Indonesian language which translates as 'the King has been waiting (for you)'. Bangsal Sri Manganti is an important place where you can learn how the King rules his Kingdom. It was designed by the Architect, Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, who made a blue print of the palace. One by one his legacy built it, realizing the dream of Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. It has a unique roof design with wooden panels that rise to a central feature like the peak of a pyramid. Past the Hall are the silver colored sculptures of the guards Dwarapala and Gupala that guard the inner Palace. They both have two large teeth, big eyes, muscular bodies and each holds a club.
The inner palace is the center of the compound and is decorated with beautiful ornaments and has teak wood structures in its interior.
Inside the inner palace is the Sultan's work room and library where he used to carry out his work. There is also a special room for royal weddings and for the inauguration of Princes or Princesses.
The most important area in the inner palace is Bangsal Prabayeksa, a hall where sacred weapons are kept. On permanent display in the hall are a collection of keris, spears, knifes, arrows, war uniforms and guns. Once a year, in the Suro month, a Javanese month, the weapons are cleaned during a sacred ceremony.