Description of the attraction
Taman Sari, or Taman Sari Water Castle, is located about 2 km from Kraton Palace, in the city of Yogyakarta. The sultan and his family rested on the territory of the castle, there were also chambers for meditation, a mosque.
The territory of this complex can be divided into four parts: a large artificial lake with islands and gazebos in the western part of the complex, a bath complex in the center, gazebos and pools in the southern part, and a small lake in the eastern part. In total, there were 59 buildings on the territory of the complex. Taman Sari is located on the territory of the Yogyakarta palace complex, which has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995.
The Taman Sari building was built during the reign of Sultan Khamengkubuvono I, who was the first sultan of the state of Yogyakarta. The construction was carried out by Portuguese architects. Unfortunately, the construction of this building was already completed by the son of the Sultan, Khamengkubuvono II.
The castle had a rather complicated sewerage system. Water from an artificially created lake was used for fountains and pools. In addition, under the castle there was a whole system of underground labyrinths, and even secret rooms. There is even a legend that after the completion of construction work, the Sultan ordered the execution of all architects so that only a narrow circle of people knew about the location of the underground rooms and labyrinths.
In 1812, during the invasion of British troops, some of the buildings of the complex were destroyed. Unfortunately, little has survived to this day, part of the land was built up by local residents. The buildings were also damaged during the earthquake in 1867. But tourists can see the central baths and several other buildings that have been restored.
On weekends, shadow puppet shows can be seen on site.
