Taman Sari, or Taman Sari Water Castle, is located about 2 kilometres from Kraton Palace, in the city of Yogyakarta. The castle grounds were used by the sultan and his family to rest, there were also meditation chambers and a mosque.
The territory of this complex can be divided into four parts: a large artificial lake with islands and pavilions in the western part of the complex, a bath complex in the centre, pavilions and pools in the southern part, and a small lake in the eastern part. There were a total of 59 buildings on the compound. Taman Sari is located within the Yogyakarta Palace Complex, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
The Taman Sari building was built during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, who was the first sultan of the state of Yogyakarta. The construction was done by Portuguese architects. Unfortunately, the building was already being completed by the Sultan's son, Hamengkubuwono II.
The castle had a rather complex sewerage system. Water from the artificially created lake was used for fountains and pools. In addition, there was a whole system of underground labyrinths under the castle, 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 the location of underground rooms and labyrinths was known only to a narrow circle of people.
In 1812, during the invasion of British troops, some of the buildings of the complex were destroyed. Unfortunately, not much has survived to our time, some of the land was built up by the locals. Also the buildings were damaged during the earthquake in 1867. But tourists can see the central baths and a few other buildings that have been restored.
On weekends you can see shadow puppet theatre performances.
