Located on the corner of Alun-Alun Utara Street and Jalan Pangurakan in Yogyakarta city centre Sonobudoyo museum is within walking distance of popular tourist sights such as the Keraton, Serangan Umum monument, Fort Vredeburg museum and Malborio street.

The name of the museum - Sonobudoyo - is formed from the Javanese words sono (place) and budoyo (culture) which literally means place of culture. This is quite apparent from the range of historical Javanese artefacts contained within the relatively small museum which span a variety of eras from the Neolithic age and 8th Century Java through to recent centuries.

As you enter the front pavilion of the museum you will be greeted by a variety of Gamelan and other Javanese musical instruments before encountering a variety of exhibits and archaeological evidence relating to the different cultural influences that have shaped the history of the island.

I was particularly fascinated by the wide array of Javanese weaponry that were displayed in some of the exhibit rooms; especially the different Keris (a dagger with a distinctive wavy double-edged blade  - the name Keris derives from an old Javanese word ngiris meaning to slice, sliver or wedge).

In Javanese culture the Keris is used to signify status, power, heroism, fighting ability and there are many folktales and legends that surround the sacredness, supernatural power, fighting ability and luck (either good or bad) that is associated with this weapon.

For students of south-east asian martial arts - particularly the Indo-Malay fighting art of pencak silat - you will enjoy seeing the various weapons on display here which, in addition to the different keris daggers also include the Tombak and other blade edged weapons.

Nearby to the rooms showcasing various Indonesian weaponry is an exhibition area displaying artefacts from the island of Bali. According to historical research the cultural aspects of both islands share many similarities, particularly during the Hindu-Buddhist era of Indonesia, which would explain why this exhibition area would be featured in an almost exclusively Javanese history museum.

In the courtyard outside the building area a variety of religious sculptures and architectural features are displayed as well as workshop areas where Wayang puppet shows are staged during the week.

I enjoyed spending a couple of hours visiting Sonobudoyo museum and taking in the range of, mostly, Javanese historical artefacts that were displayed there. Unfortunately there were no guides available during my visit as I would have enjoyed being able to glean further information regarding certain exhibits, particularly the weaponry that was displayed there.

Getting there

Sonobudoyo museum can be easily reached by public transport, cycling or travel by foot and is within walking distance of popular tourist attractions including the Keraton, Serangan Umum monument, Fore Vredeburg museum and Malborio street

Fee

If memory serves me well I believe the entrance fee was 20,000 rupiah (equivalent to £1.11 GBP or $1.43 USD)