Tugu Jogja, the Most Popular Landmark in Yogyakarta
Tugu Jogja is the most popular landmark of Yogyakarta. This monument is located right in the center of the crossroad between the Mangkubumi, Soedirman, A.M. Sangaji and Diponegoro roads. The Tugu Jogja that is almost 3 centuries old has a very deep meaning and it keeps some history records of Yogyakarta.

Tugu Jogja was built around one year after the construction of Yogyakarta Kingdom. At the early time of its construction, it clearly described the philosophy of the unity of God’s creatures that means the spirit of togetherness of lay people and authorities to fight colonials. In Javanese term, the spirit of togetherness is called golong gilig that is clearly described in the construction of the monument: the pole is of gilig (cylinder) form and the top part is golong (rounded). This monument was known as Tugu Golong-Gilig.

In details, the monument was originally constructed in the form of a cylindrical pole with conical form upwards. The base is an encircling fence while the top is rounded. The preliminary height of the monument was 25 meters.

Everything changed when on Monday, 10 June 1867, a big earthquake in Yogyakarta ruined the monument. The collapse of the monument was the transition time when the unity was not really reflected on the monument.

The situation changed totally when in 1889 the Dutch government renovated the monument. The monument was constructed as a square with each side being decorated with a kind of inscription containing the names of people who were involved in the renovation. The top portion is no longer rounded but a pointed cone. The height of the monument is also lower, namely 15 meters. Since then, this monument was also called as De Witt Paal or Tugu Pal Putih (white pole monument).

The renovation of the monument was actually the tactic used by the Dutch colonial to erase the philosophy of togetherness between lay people and the king. Learning from the result of the struggle afterwards, however, the effort did not seem to be successful.

If we want to look at the monument satisfactorily while remembering its philosophical meaning, there are benches facing the monument on the corner of Mangkubumi Street. At 05:00 a.m. - 06:00 a.m. is the right time since the air is still fresh and not much passerby yet. Occasionally, the newspaper boy will greet us politely while riding his bicycle to go to the distribution office of the biggest local newspaper, the Kedaulatan Rakyat.

In the evening, we find the seller of gudeg (traditional menu cooked from young jackfruit) at the corner of Diponegoro Road. The gudeg sold here is delicious at reasonable price. You may have it in crossed-legs seating arrangement while looking at the view of the Tugu Jogja that is bathed with lights.

Being so identical of the Tugu Jogja to Yogyakarta makes many university students from outside of Yogyakarta to express their happiness after the graduation day by hugging and kissing the Tugu Jogja. That may also express their love to Yogyakarta that they will about to leave soon and at the same time say their promise to return to this city.

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Affandi Museum, Visiting the Palace of a Maestro
Visiting Affandi Museum that is located on Jalan Raya Yogyakarta - Solo, or by the west bank of Gajah Wong River, give an opportunity for you to trace all meaningful parts of Affandi’s life. You can see the great works when he was alive, the works of other painters that he kept, the vehicles that he used in the past, the house where he used to live and a gallery that now functions as a place to educate gifted children in painting.

The complex of the museum consists of 3 galleries with gallery I as the ticket box and the starting point of your exploration. Gallery I that was personally opened by Affandi in 1962 and was inaugurated in 1974 contains some of his paintings from the early time of his work to the late time of his life. The paintings most of which are sketches and reproductions are placed in two rows - upper and lower - that fill the curved room.

Still in Gallery I, you can see valuable things belonging to Affandi. At one corner of the room, there is a 1976 Colt Gallant car in greenish yellow color that was modified to form a fish, and an old wind-cycle as his means of transportation. The reproduction of the statue of Affandi and her daughter, Kartika, is shown as well.

Entering Gallery II, you will see paintings by different painters, both junior and senior ones. The gallery that was inaugurated in 1988 consists of two floors with paintings that you can see from different angles. The first floor is full of abstract paintings and the second floor contains realist-style paintings.

Gallery III as the next destination is a unique building of which roof resembles banana leaf. The three-stories floor is a multifunction gallery with the first floor functions as an exhibition room as well as the location of “Gajah Wong Gallery” for children who sharpen their painting ability, the second floor functions as paintings treatment and restoration room, and the room underground is utilized to keep painting collections.

There is a tower close to Gallery III where you can see the scenery of the entire museum, Gajah wong River and the hurly-burly of the main street. Walking to the west, you will come to a house with unique architecture where Affandi and his family used to live.

The house was built with the concept of a stage-house with concrete as the main pillars and other poles are from wood. The roof is shingle roof forming banana leaf and the shape of the building is uniquely curving. The ground floor is used for Kafe Loteng where you can buy foods and drinks and the upper floor is personal room of Affandi’s.

At the left side of the house, there is a cart functioning as a place for praying. The cart used to be the resting place for Affandi’s wife, Maryati. Initially, Maryati wanted a caravan as the ones used by many Americans as a mobile living place. Affandi agreed to the concept but with more Indonesian style, namely a cart.

Before leaving the museum, take a little time to visit the tomb of the maestro who passed away on 23 May 1990. The tomb lays between Gallery I and II. The eternal home of Affandi’s lays beside his wife’s eternal home. The yard of the homes is decorated by lushness of rose trees.

In order to visit Affandi Museum, you only have to spend IDR 10,000 for domestic tourists and IDR 20,000 for foreign tourists and additional IDR 10,000 for taking photographs.

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Museum Affandi
Jl. Laksda Adisutjipto 167 Yogyakarta 55281
Phone/Fax: +62 274 562593

Visiting hours: Monday to Sunday
Open : 10.00 a.m. to 16.00 p.m.
Holiday: closed
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Source from http://www.yogyes.com