Ullen Sentalu Museum, Yogyakarta Overview

The Ullen Sentalu Museum is built upon the on historic sites, such as Hastorenggo Guesthouse building that is owned by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII (1877-1921) and Kaliurang Three Nations Commission Building. The word 'Ullen Sentalu' is an acronym of the phrase in Java language that is 'Ulating Blencong Sejatine Tataraning Lumaku'. The phrase literally means 'the Light of Life for Human Journey.' The museum exhibits relics and artefacts from the royal houses and kratons of Java, for example, the Pakualam, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, and Mangkunegaran houses.

The museum was created by a family's love for batik and textiles that had been influenced by the environment they grew up in. Around the 1970s, numerous ancient batiks were being pursued by collectors. Some people who were influenced by batik to a large extent had established a foundation to save the ancient culture of batik. They chose the Ullen Sentalu Museum to display and keep some ancient batik.

Architecture

The Ullen Sentalu Museum has been designed by a local architect Haryono and has incorporated components of both, the medieval European gothic architecture and the Javanese style. The building is covered with wines and was built among the green trees which are known as Kaswargan Park. The architecture of the place mirrors European castles from the Middle Ages that have been influenced by the Gothic style. The museum takes the form of a castle made of piles of dark mountain stones, adorned with many varieties of vines.

History

Established in 1994, the Ullen Sentalu Museum was formally inaugurated on March 1, 1997. This date coincided with the date celebrated every year as a 'Historic Day' for the city of Yogyakarta. The inauguration was done by 'KGPAA Paku Alam VIII', who was the Governor of Yogyakarta Special Province at the time. The museum is privately owned by the Haryono family under the Ulating Blencong Foundation. The museum is near Mount Merapi because of the Javanese belief that recognizes Mount Merapi as a sacred place.

How To Reach Ullen Sentalu Museum

Tourists generally rent a minibus to reach the museum. There are also public transportation vehicles available to reach the museum such as the bus that follows the Yogya-Kaliurang route. These buses can be easily found at Kaliurang Street or the Giwangan Bus Station and cost about IDR 5.000–10.000. Taxis are also frequently available.

The nearest International Airport is the Adisucipto Airport and if you want to reach the museum by the bus from the Adisucipto Airport, you can take Trans Jogja with the route (3A) and stop in Kentungan Bus shelter. After that, take a small bus to Kaliurang and stop at Taman Wisata Kali Kaliurang. From there, a motorcycle or an ojek to the Ullen Sentalu Museum.

If you are coming from the Tugu Railway Station, you can take the Trans Jogja with the route (2B) and stop at the Kentungan Bus shelter and then take a small bus to Kaliurang and stop at Taman Wisata Kali Kaliurang. From there, you can take an Ojek (bike) to the Ullen Sentalu Museum.