TUGU MONUMEN

One of the monuments that stands as quiet witness to the development of Yogyakarta is called the Tugu, which means column.

The original Tugu was built to commemorate the establishment of Ngayogyakarta Sultanate in 1755. It collapsed and in 1889 was replaced by a new one, shaped differently from the original cylindrical Tugu.

Leading southward from the Tugu towards the Sultan's Palace is jalan Pangeran Mangkubumi, which becomes jalan Malioboro after the railroad station. Both sides of the streets are decorated with artistic lamps and beautifully arranged small parks. In the olden days jalan Malioboro was famous as the defense base for the Indonesian guerilla fighters in their attempt to defend the independence of Indonesia against the Dutch. Nowadays jalan Malioboro is well known as gathering place for many creative artists and craftsmen. At night this main street is always crowded with people selling Yogyakarta's Specific food called "gudeg", and other Javanese food. Customers can sit and relax on a mat, while enjoying their food in Javanese tradition