Palace complex of old Mataram kingdom @ Kota Gede, Yogyakarta

entrance gate

old mosque

more gate

i think they are praying at the gate to the tombs

salasilah Raja-raja Majapahit - Demak - Mataran - Surakarta - Yogyakarta

In that cemetery complex one can still visit the cemetery of the Mataram kings like Sutowijoyo or Ngabei Loring Pasar, the founder of Mataram Kingdom, who was then called Panembahan Senopati. There is also the unique tomb of Ki Ageng Mangir. He was Panembahan Senopati son in law and also Panembahan Senopati enemy. His dead body was buried half inside of the special area for kings and Panembahan Senopati families, and a half of his body was buried outside of the complex. There is a stone called " Watu Gilang ", a stone on which Panembahan Senopati smashed the Ki Ageng Mangir head to dead.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota_Gede

Kota Gede also known as Pasar Gede - is an archaeological site in Yogyakarta that contains the remains of the kraton (palace), the royal graveyard, and royal mosque of Mataram, dated from the late 1500s and early 1600s.

The honorable name of this location in a higher and more respectful level of Javanese language (Kromo) is Pasar Gede.

There are many legends and local tales connects the site to the Mataram palace, however much of the physical remnants of the palace and the capital city are already destroyed. The only parts that remains quite intact are the Kota Gede royal mosque, the royal graveyard (precursor toImogiri), and a few sections of the original palace walls.

The city lost its prestigue when the center of power was shifted to Kartasura near modern Surakarta. The city further lost its political and cultural significance after replaced by Imogiri as the royal cemetery for the sultanates. Later sultanate of Mataram was split between Yogyakarta Sultanateand Surakarta.

The Royal Graveyard holds important graves that trace connections of Mataram with earlier kingdoms, and the placement of the graves within the covered area of the graveyard can be considered as a physical representation of 'silsilah' or genealogy of the rulers and their progenitors. It is guarded and maintained by Juru Kunci who are employed by the two palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta.