This is Jalan Karanggetas, in the center of Cirebon. Cirebon is a city on the north coast of Java, in Jawa Barat province. It's a pretty city, known for its batik, and for shrimp (Kota Udang). It's also a modern city--notice the satellite dishes. The large billboard down the street is advertising Djarum cigarettes.

This is the Masjid Besar (Central Mosque) of Cirebon.

This is the inner entrance to the Kraton Kesepuhan, the traditional residence of the Sultan of Cirebon. The older Kraton Kanoman is nearby. The swirled pattern on the building is called a "cloud and rock" motif. It's also used in woodcarving and batik.

This is a gamelan in the Kraton Kesepuhan in Cirebon. Yesterday's music lesson is still on the slate in the background.

This is the main ceremonial hall in the Kraton Kesepuhan. It was built in the mid-1700s. It's still used on special occasions.

The tiles in the Kraton are Delft porcelain, but the other details were made by a mystery process that experts don't completely understand. Even after over 200 years, the colors have not faded a bit.

This is a chariot that belonged to the Sultan of Cirebon years ago. (1700s?) The unusual design has wings (for Islam), a dragon (for Buddhism) and an elephant (for Hinduism), representing the religions of all the Sultan's subjects. Today's Indonesia continues to honor this spirit of religious tolerance.

Try these links to find out more about Cirebon:

Cirebon City Home Page
Another Cirebon City Home Page
Pemerintah Kota Cirebon (in Indonesian)
Cirebon at wasantara.net.id