Banten is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Java Sea on the north, the Indian Ocean on the south, and the Sunda Strait on the west and shares a maritime border with Lampung to the west. The province covers an area of 9,352.77 km2 (3,611.12 sq mi). It had a population of over 11.9 million in the 2020 census, up from about 10.6 million in 2010. The estimated mid-2023 population was 12.308 million. Formerly part of the province of West Java, Banten was split off to become a province on 17 October 2000.
Cirebon is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central Java, approximately 297 km (185 mi) east of Jakarta, at 6°43′S108°34′E. It had a population of 296,389 at the 2010 census and 333,303 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 341,980.
The Sultanate of Mataram was the last major independent Javanese kingdom on the island of Java before it was colonised by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force radiating from the interior of Central Java from the late 16th century until the beginning of the 18th century.
The Cirebon or Cirebonese are an indigenous ethnic group native to Cirebon in the northeastern region of West Java Province of Indonesia. With a population of approximately 2 million, the Cirebonese population are mainly adherents of Sunni Islam. Their native language is Cirebonese, which combines elements of both Javanese and Sundanese, but with a heavier influence from Javanese.
Kraton or keraton is a type of royal palace in Java, Indonesia. Its name is derived from the Javanese ka-ratu-an, meaning residence of the ratu, the traditional honorific title for a monarch. In Java, the palace of a prince is called pura or dalem, while the general word for palace is istana, which is identical to Malay.
Amangkurat I was the susuhunan of the Mataram Sultanate from 1646 to 1677.
Amangkurat II was the susuhunan of the Sultanate of Mataram from 1677 to 1703. Before taking the throne, he was the crown prince and had the title Pangeran Adipati Anom.
Cirebon Regency is a regency (kabupaten) of West Java Province of Indonesia. The town of Sumber is its capital. It covers 1,076.76 km2 and had a population of 2,068,116 at the 2010 census and 2,270,621 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 2,360,441. These area and population figures exclude those of Cirebon City, which is an independent administration, although totally surrounded by the regency on its landward side.
A pendhapa or pandhapa is a fundamental element of Javanese architecture unique in the southern central part of Java; a large pavilion-like structure built on columns. Either square or rectangular in plan, it is open on all sides and provides shelter from the sun and rain, but allows breeze and indirect light. The word pendhapa is cognate to the Sanskrit word mandapa ("hall").
The Banten Sultanate was a Bantenese Islamic trading kingdom founded in the 16th century and centred in Banten, a port city on the northwest coast of Java; the contemporary English name of both was Bantam. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati, who had previously founded Cirebon.
The Gamelan Sekaten is a ceremonial gamelan from central Java, Indonesia, played during the annual Sekaten festival. The word "sekaten" itself is derived from syahadatain or shahada, the first requirement for converting into Islamic faith. Traditionally it is played once per year, on the occasion of Mawlid, Muhammad's birthday, for the week from the 6-12 of the month of Mulud. On this celebration it is brought from the palace at 11 pm to two pavilions before the Great Mosque. It is played every day during that week except the Thursday night/Friday morning. On the eve of the birthday proper, it is returned at 11 pm.
The Bantenese are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Banten in the westernmost part of Java island, Indonesia. The area of Banten province corresponds more or less with the area of the former Banten Sultanate, a Bantenese nation state that preceded Indonesia. In his book "The Sultanate of Banten", Guillot Claude writes on page 35: “These estates, owned by the Bantenese of Chinese descent, were concentrated around the village of Kelapadua.” Most of Bantenese are Sunni Muslim. The Bantenese speak the Sundanese-Banten dialect, a variety of the Sundanese language which does not have a general linguistic register, this language is called Basa Sunda Banten.
The Sunda Kingdom was a Sundanese Hindu kingdom located in the western portion of the island of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering the area of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java. The capital of the Sunda Kingdom moved several times during its history, shifting between the Galuh (Kawali) area in the east and Pakuan Pajajaran in the west.
The Sultanate of Cirebon was an Islamic sultanate in West Java founded in the 15th century. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati, as marked by his letter proclaiming Cirebon's independence from Pajajaran in 1482, although the settlement and the polity had been established earlier, in 1445. Sunan Gunungjati also established the Sultanate of Banten. It was one of the earliest Islamic states established in Java, along with the Sultanate of Demak.
The Kraton Kasepuhan is the oldest kraton in the Indonesian city of Cirebon. It is the residence of the Sultan of Kasepuhan and the royal palace of the Sultanate of Cirebon.
Kraton Kanoman is a palace in the Indonesian city of Cirebon in West Java.
Tanjungpura Kingdom or Tanjompura was the name of an ancient 8th century kingdom that was located along the southwestern coast of Borneo facing the Java Sea, a region that today corresponds to the Ketapang Regency of West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. The kingdom experienced several moves of the royal capital, first located in Negeri Baru Ketapang Regency, then moved to Sukadana, since Panembahan Sorgi embraced Islam.
Paku Alam X is the Duke (Adipati) of Pakualaman, a small Javanese duchy in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He succeeded as Paku Alam upon the death of the previous ruler, his father Paku Alam IX, who died on 21 November 2015. He was formally crowned with the Royal Javanese title of Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya (KGPAA) Paku Alam X on 7 January 2016, and as stated in the National Constitution, on 25 May 2016, He was sworn and appointed as the hereditary Vice-Governor of Yogyakarta Special Region.
Batik plays multiple roles in the culture of Indonesia. The wax resist-dyeing technique has been used for centuries in Java, and has been adopted in varying forms in other parts of the country. Java is home to several batik museums.
