The Imogiri Royal Cementery (Pajimatan Girirejo Imogiri) is located on the outskirts of Yogyakarta. It is a place for spiritual tourism (meditation and pilgrimage). The complex is located around 12 km from the city center of Yogyakarta and is a great place to enjoy scenery and also learn about the history of the Mataram kingdom and its culture.

You need to climb quite a lot of stairs (the guide said that it is 345 stairs, but I didn’t count them all) to reach the site. At the top of the stairs you will find fish pond. On the right side as you enter are the royal burial tombs for previous sultans of Yogyakarta (Kesultanan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat). On the left side are the royals tombs for the sultans of Surakarta (Kasunanan Surakarta Hadiningrat). Continue to climb and you can reach the entrance to the Kasultanan Agungan tomb complex (Mataram kingdom).

The complex is special and worth a visit. Tourists who want to visit the graves are obliged to register at the registration office. Traditional formal dress (you can rent it at reasonable cost) is required when entering the tombs. Men usually use “Bebed” or “Nyamping” with bare upper body or “Pranaan Yogya” the costume dress of officials. Women use”Nyamping” and “Kemben” which leaves your shoulders bare. I enjoyed myself wandering around the complex in traditional formal dress. I imagine it would be very interesting if tourists can dress up like this when they visit places in Yogyakarta like museums or cultural centers.

Some important notes for visiting the King Tombs of Imogiri.

– Opening hours:
Monday from 10 am – 1 pm
Friday from 1.30 pm – 4 pm
Sunday from 10 am – 1 pm
– During fasting month (30 days) the graves are closed
– For women who have their period it is forbidden to enter the tomb
– You should leave your belongings at the administration desk before entering the tomb.

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