LOCATION:
The Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX Museum is located in the southeast precinct of the main palace.

DESCRIPTION:
This architecturally marvelous museum dedicated for the 9th Sultan of Yogyakarta, Sri Hamengku Buwono IX (1912-1988), was officially opened on 28th November 1992 by the then President of Indonesia, Soeharto. The aim is to venerate the life and contributions of arguably the most important icon of Indonesian's drive towards independence.

Inside, the roofing looks like a typical bangsal commonly found in the Keraton, except that the panels are gold-plated and embellished by expensive chandeliers. There is a display of the actual desk used by the late Sultan for his day-to-day job. At one side, there are also three stone placards which immortalise the formal pact between the Sultan and President Soekarno that have given Yogyakarta a special status in the Republic of Indonesia. There is a small pathway that leads to another display area where childhood and teenage photos, cooking utensils, kitchen stove, silverwares, etc, of the Sultan are showcased to the public.

This Dutch-educated royalty (he studied in HBS-B Haarlem and Leiden University, both in the Netherlands) became the 9th Sultan of Yogyakarta in 1940. He played an active role during the Indonesian Revolution movement against the Dutch colonialist that eventually led to the birth of Republic of Indonesia in 1945. His contributions, among other, was to move the capital of the newly-birth republic to Yogyakarta temporarily to safeguard the nation's interest. Interestingly, during this event, the Dutch colonialists were not in the position to attack the city due to the Sultan's strong influence with the guerilla troops and the people in general.

All done and dusted, with the eventual withdrawal of Dutch colonialists from Indonesia, the first President of Indonesia, Soekarno, accorded a special status to the district of Yogyakarta that is independent and somewhat autonomous on certain jurisdictions.

This much-revered Sultan passed away in 1988 at George Washington University Medical Centre at the age of 76. He was buried at the royal mausoleum in Imogiri, near the village of Bantul.

MY VERDICT:
Literally a living museum. Highly recommended to learn a bit more on the special district's history.