Surakarta
Encyclopedia
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java
, Indonesia
of more than 520,061 people (2009) with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency
and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency
and Sukoharjo Regency
to the east and west, and Sukoharjo Regency
to the south. On the eastern side of Solo lies Bengawan Solo River
. The city is the seat of Surakarta Sunanate
kraton (palace/court). Together with Yogyakarta, Surakarta is the heir of the Mataram Kingdom
that was split into two kingdoms in 1755.
was located. The variant spelling "Soerakarta" reflects the Dutch orthography
in use before the 1948 spelling reform.
. One of these was Jaka Tingkir
, son-in-law of the late sultan. After defeating the last opponent duke of Jipang-Panola, Jaka Tingkir, also known as Sultan Hadiwijaya, he claimed the throne and moved the capital to the city of Pajang, located about 8 miles from present-day Surakarta. His adopted son, Sutawijaya, formed a conspiracy and killed him with the help of an assassin. Then he ascended the throne and once again moved the capital to Mataram in the present-day province of Yogyakarta, and a new dynasty was founded.
searched for a more auspicious spot to rebuild his capital, and in 1745 the entire court was dismantled and transported in a great procession to Surakarta, on the banks of the Kali (River) Solo. February 18, 1745 is regarded as the official birthday of the city. It was said that the place he chose to be the new palace was situated on a small lake. The "babad" or official record of court historians still mentions that the lake was drained by the favor of the mythical queen of the southern sea, Nyi Roro Kidul.
However, the decline continued, and in 1757, after the kingdom of Mataram was divided into the Surakarta Sultanate (northern court) and the Yogyakarta Sultanate (southern court), another rival royal house of Mangkunegoro was established by Raden Mas Said, also known as Pangeran Samber Nyowo (The Slayer Prince), right in the centre of Solo. It marked the success of the Dutch policy of divide et impera (divide and conquer) in the East Indies
. The Mataram
held considerable power in Java
, yet it submitted to the Dutch. Thereafter, Solo's royal houses wisely avoided fighting and instead threw their energies into the arts, developing a highly sophisticated and graceful court culture. The gamelan
pavilions became the new theaters of war, with each city competing to produce the more refined court culture. Wayang Kulit and Wayang Wong
are some theatrical arts still performed today.
The Palace contains a notable museum, which used to house a female chastity belt until it was stolen by thieves.
. His relationship with the Dutch, his large family, and his popularity contributed to perhaps the largest funeral procession that ever occurred in Solo. He had spent a large amount of money on the Royal Graveyard at Imogiri
, both the main sections of the graveyard and the new section that he was buried in. In the era just prior to independence Surakarta had European, Chinese, and Arab quarters.
, both Mangkunegara VII and Pakubuwono IX
declared Surakarta a part of the Republic of Indonesia (RI). Because of this support, President Soekarno declared Surakarta the Daerah Istimewa Surakarta (DIS)/"Surakarta Special Region".
In October 1945, an anti-"swapraja" (anti-feudalism/anti-monarchy) movement was established in Surakarta. One of the leaders of this movement was Tan Malaka
, a member of the Indonesian Communist Party. This organization wanted to abolish all feudal kingdoms in Surakarta and the Surakarta special region (DIS) and replace all regents in Surakarta. The key issue was whether the end of Dutch rule should bring a total change in the government, or whether the ancient and historic institutions, giving the people a link to pre-colonial times, should be retained.
On October 17, 1945, KRMH Sosrodiningrat, the vizier of Mangkunegara kingdom, was kidnapped and murdered by communists. The new vizier, KRMT Yudonagoro, and 9 other officials from Kepatihan were also kidnapped and murdered by the same movement in March 1946.
In 1946, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) was moved to the nearby city of Yogyakarta.
On June 16, 1946, the DIS was abolished and replaced with the regency (kabupaten) of Surakarta. This event is commemorated as the birthday of the city of Surakarta. This only has administrative and not civic significance.
On June 26, 1946, Prime Minister of Indonesia Sutan Syahrir was kidnapped by a rebel movement led by Major General Soedarsono, the commander of the 3rd division. President Soekarno (more often called Sukarno) was angry at this kidnapping and on July 1, 1946, 14 civilian leaders of this movement, including Tan Malaka, were arrested by Indonesian police.
On July 2, 1946, the rebel leaders were freed from Wirogunan prison by rebel troops, led by Maj. Gen. Soedarsono. President Soekarno asked the local military commander in Surakarta, Lieutenant Colonel Soeharto (who later became President Soeharto [often spelled Suharto]) to arrest Major General Soedarsono and the rebel group. Lt. Col. Soeharto refused to follow this command unless it was given directly by the Military Chief of Staff, General Soedirman. President Soekarno was angry at this rejection of his authority to give direct commands to all levels of the military, and called Lt. Col. Soeharto a stubborn ("koppig") officer.
Lt. Col. Soeharto pretended that he supported the rebellion and persuaded Maj. Gen. Soedarsono and his group to stay at his headquarters at Wiyoro, Surakarta for their own safety. Later that night he persuaded Maj. Gen. Soedarsono to meet President Soekarno at his palace the next morning. Lt. Col. Soeharto secretly informed the presidential guard troops about Maj. Gen. Soedarsono's plan on the next morning.
On July 3, 1946, Maj. Gen. Soedarsono and his group were arrested by the presidential guard near the palace. Prime Minister Syahrir was released unharmed. Several months later, Maj. Gen. Soedarsono and his group were pardoned and released from prison.
Later this rebellion was called the "failed July 3, 1946 coup". This event is mentioned in President Soeharto's autobiography
published in 1988.
From 1945 to 1948, the Dutch re-occupied various regions in Java. The remaining areas of the Republic of Indonesia were in Yogyakarta, Surakarta, and surrounding areas.
In December 1948, the Dutch attacked and occupied the cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. The Indonesian army led by General Soedirman started a guerrilla war from surrounding areas. The Dutch said that the Republic was destroyed and no longer existed. To disprove this claim, the Indonesian army conducted large-scale raids into the cities of Jogyakarta and Surakarta, called Serangan Oemoem. The Indonesian troops managed to beat the Dutch troops and occupy the city for several hours. The leader of the raid to Yogyakarta was Lt. Col. Soeharto. The leader of a similar raid on Surakarta on August 7, 1949 was Lt. Col. Slamet Riyadi
. To commemorate this event, the main street of the city of Surakarta was renamed "Brigadier General Slamet Riyadi Street".
making was a common activity.
and the subsequent killings of 1965–66
.
n-Chinese
, leading to widespread destruction in the region.
lying on flat terrain 105 m above sea level (in the city center about 95 m above sea level), with an area of 44.1 km2 (0.14 % of the area of Central Java
). It is approximately 65 km (40.4 mi) northeast of Yogyakarta and 100 km (62.1 mi) southeast of Semarang
. The eastern part of the town is bordered by Bengawan Solo River
, the longest river on Java. The river is the inspiration for the song "Bengawan Solo
", a 1940s composition by Gesang Martohartono
which became famous throughout much of Asia. The city's soil is fertile because of the river and its tributaries.
The city is surrounded by Merbabu
and Mount Merapi
(3,115 m high) to the west and Mount Lawu
(2806 m high) to the east. The Sewu Mountain Range lies further south.
/second. The average source water height is 800-1,200 m above sea level. In 1890–1927 there were only 12 wells in Surakarta. Today, underground water wells in 23 locations produce about 45 l/second.
In March 2006, Surakarta's state water company (PDAM) had a production capacity of 865.02 l/second: from Cokrotulung, Klaten
, 27 km from Solo, 387 l/s; and from 26 deep wells, with a total capacity of 478,02 l/second. The total reservoir capacity is 9,140 m3 and can serve 55,22% of the population.
The soil in Solo is fertile, partly because of the volcanic activity of Mounts Merapi and Lawu. Combined with abundant water source, makes the hinterland good for planting vegetables, food and cash crops. But in the last 20 years, manufacturing industry and tourism have been booming and agriculture declining.
, Surakarta features a tropical monsoon climate
. The city has a lengthy wet season
spanning from October through June, and a relatively short dry season covering the remaining three months (July through September). On average Surakarta receives just under 2200 mm of rainfall annually, with its wettest months being December, January, and February. As is common in areas featuring a tropical monsoon climate, temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year. Surakarta's average temperature is roughly 30 degrees Celsius every month.
and Boyolali Regency in the west and north, Karanganyar and Sukoharjo Regency
in the east, and Sukoharjo Regency in the south. At each of the city borders stands a gapura
kraton or Javanese entrance monument, erected in 1931–32 during the reign of Pakubuwono X
in Kasunanan Surakarta. Each of them serves as a border and an entry point to the capital of Kraton Surakarta with the neighboring territories. The gapuras were built not only on highways but also on the riverside of Bengawan Solo. Bengawan Solo used to be a port and crossing point (in Mojo/Silir).
The gapuras were built in two sizes, large and small. Large gapuras were built on major roadways. They can be seen in Grogol (south), Kerten and Jurug (east). Small gapuras can be seen near Dr. Oen Hospital (north), on the road to Baki in Solo Baru (south), Makamhaji (west), and in Mojo/Silir. Each of the large gapuras also has a stele
that contains the name of the reigning monarch and the year that it was built.
, Sukoharjo, Klaten
, and Boyolali
, are collectively called the ex-Surakarta Residency (Dutch: Residentie Soerakarta). After Surakarta became a city, it was divided into five subdistricts (kecamatan), each led by a camat, and 51 kelurahan, each led by a lurah. The subdistricts of Surakarta are:
During Dutch occupation Yogyakarta and Surakarta were known as the Vorstenland or principalities. Rivalry between the two has been endemic since their founding in the 18th century and was a deliberate ploy by the Dutch to distract attention from the presence of the Dutch colonial power.
The hereditary ruler of the kraton
or main court within the city bears the title of Pakubuwono, the present king being Pakubuwono XIII
. Like Yogyakarta, Solo also has a junior court, born of another civil war: the Mangkunegaran
, a small principality inside Kasunanan, of which Mangkunegara IX
is the present monarch. Neither holds any political power and according to Indonesian law, both only have civilian status.
(nicknamed Jokowi), and his vice mayor is F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo. The pair were elected on 2005 and reelected on 2010 for another five-year term. The mayor was chosen as one of the 10 persons of the year by Tempo
magazine.
Under Joko Widodo's mayorship, the city has experienced a marked improvement. He rebranded and promoted Solo as "The Spirit of Java," a Javanese culture and heritage center, batik
capital, and tourist-friendly city.
Juridicially, the City of Surakarta was formed based on Government Regulation No. 16/SD 1946, announced at July 15, 1946. Based on several historical factors, June 16, 1946 is set as the anniversary of the Government of Surakarta. The city anniversary itself is celebrated every February 16, based on the date of the moving of the palace from Kartasura to Surakarta in 1745. On February 16, 2011, the city celebrated its 256th anniversary.
According to the 2009 census, there were 245,043 males and 283,159 females (a sex ratio of 86.54) in Surakarta. 119,951 of the population were 14 years or younger, 376,180 were between 15 and 64, and 32,071 were above 65. The number of households was 142,627 and the average number of household members was 3.7. The population growth in the last 10 years was about 0.565 % per year.
Compared to other cities in Indonesia, Surakarta is the most densely populated city in Central Java, the eighth most densely populated city in Indonesia, the 13th smallest city in Indonesia, and the 22nd most populous of 93 autonomous cities and 5 administrative cities in Indonesia.
The labor force of Solo in 2009 was 275,546, of whom 246,768 were working, while 28,778 were seeking work. Another 148,254 people aged 15 and above were not in the labor force. Based on employment numbers, the most common work in Solo was worker/paid employee (112,336), followed by self-employee (56,112), self-employee assisted by temporary employee (32,769), unpaid employee (20,193), self-employee assisted by permanent employee (14,880), freelance employee in non-agricultural work (10,241), and freelance employee in agricultural work (237). Based on the industry, most people in Solo worked in trade (106,426), services (59,780), manufacturing (42,065), communication (16,815), construction (9,217), financing (9,157), or agriculture (2,608), and the rest in mining, electricity, gas, and water companies (700).
The mean working week in Solo was 47.04 hours (47.74 for men and 46.13 for women), and 212,262 people worked more than 35 hours per week compared to 34,506 who worked less than that.
According to the statistics of Data Pokok Pendidikan (Dapodik), in the 2010/2011 school year, there were 68,153 students and 853 schools in Surakarta. Currently there are two state universities in Surakarta: Sebelas Maret University
(UNS) and Art Institute of Surakarta (ISI). There are also 52 private universities and colleges.
The Domestic brutto Income of Surakarta in 2009 was 16,813,058.62 IDR, the fourth highest in Central Java after Kudus, Cilacap, and Semarang. The living standard in 2009 was 723,000 IDR. The Consumer price index
in January 2011 was 119.44.
Surakarta has several traditional markets (pasar), including Pasar Klewer, Pasar Gedhe, Pasar Legi, and Pasar Kembang. Pasar Klewer is famous as the biggest textile market in Indonesia. There are also antiques markets in Pasar Triwindu and in Pasar Keris near the palace of Surakarta. Every night there is the Galabo Open Food Court near the City Hall, and every Saturday night the Ngarsopuro Night Market near Slamet Riyadi Road.
The business centre in Solo is located along the main artery road of Slamet Riyadi. Several banks, hotels, shopping centres, international retsaurants, and also tourism destinations are located along this road. Every Sunday morning from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., this road is closed as the city government designates that day Solo Car Free Day (SCFD) along the Slamet Riyadi Road in a campaign to reduce carbon emissions. Modern malls in Solo are Solo Square, Solo Grand Mall, and Solo Paragon (under construction).
On the outskirts of the city there are several industrial zones, such as Palur, Grogol, and Jetis. Large corporations headquartered in Solo include Sritex (textiles), Indo Acidatama (industrial chemicals), and Konimex (pharmaceuticals). The batik home industry has also become one of Solo's specialty industries.
The area code of Solo is (+62)271. Coin or card phone booths are rare, but there are many phone shops and small stalls selling prepaid phone credits. Internet cafes are also abundant. Several public places such as restaurants and cafes provide Wi-Fi access to their customers too.
. Persis Solo was a giant club in the Dutch Indies and still exists, but is past its heyday. During the Perserikatan tournament, Persis became seven-time champion. Currently it plays in the Premier Division
. Other than Persis, several clubs have existed in Solo: Arseto, Pelita Solo
, Persijatim Solo FC, and lastly Solo FC, that plays in the Indonesian Premier League
since 2011. Both clubs that still exist, Persis and Solo FC, have made Manahan Stadium
their home ground. Manahan Stadium is one of the best sport stadiums in Central Java, with more than 25,000 seats, and has several times hosted national and international matches. It was recently the venue for the AFC Champions Cup 2007, the final venue of the Indonesian Cup 2010, and the opening venue for the Indonesian Premiere League on January 15, 2011.
In 1948, Solo also became the host of the first National Games
, whose opening date is still marked as the National Sports Day of Indonesia. At that tournament, Solo as Surakarta Residency came out as the champion.
Until 2009, Solo was also the only city in Central Java with a professional basketball
team: Bhinneka Solo. In 2009 the team was merged with Stadium Jakarta and moved to Jakarta
.
Sports stadiums in the city other than Manahan Stadium include Sriwedari Stadium, Kota Barat Stadium, Bengawan Sport Center, and Bhinneka Basketball Stadium, recently renamed as Sritex Basketball and Badminton
Stadium.
(airport code: SOC) has direct flights to Kuala Lumpur
by Air Asia, Singapore
by Silk Air and, during the hajj season, Saudi Arabia
, as well as regular flights to Jakarta
by Garuda Indonesia
, Sriwijaya Air
, Lion Air
and Batavia Air
. Also since April 2011 there are two new routes: SOC-BDO (Bandung) and SOC-SUB (Surabaya), operated by Sky Aviation
. The airport is located 14 km north of the city. Since May 2011, BST (Batik Solo Trans) buses connect the airport to the city. There is also taxicab service. In 2009 Adisumarmo had 2,060 outbound domestic flights and 616 outbound international flights.
s, Solo Balapan, Purwosari, Solo Jebres, and Solo Kota (Sangkrah). Solo Balapan is the largest station in Surakarta, and is the junction between Yogyakarta (westward), Semarang (northward), and Surabaya (eastward), while Purwosari is the junction located west of Solo Balapan, and has a connection to Wonogiri (southward). There are several direct lines to other cities, such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Semarang, Madiun, and Malang. For regional traffic, a special train connects Surakarta and Yogyakarta, the Prameks train.
Surakarta is unique because it is the only Indonesian city to still have a street-parallel rail track between Purwosari and Solo Kota, along Jalan Slamet Riyadi, Solo's main road. A heritage railway, called Jaladara, also operates between the two stations. Historically, Purwosari had the junction to Boyolali (westward).
In July 26, 2011 the Railbus
has been launched to serve Surakarta/Solo-Wonogiri
route, but for the moment only Solo-Sukoharjo trackage was ready due to there are 99 bridges should be strenghten between Sukoharjo-Wonogiri.
). A Semarang-Solo Toll Road is currently under construction. In 2009 the total extent of roadways in the city was 705.34 km: 13.15 km state road, 16.33 km province road, and 675.86 km local road. The number of bus companies was 23, and the total number of buses operating was 1,115 intra-provincial buses and 1,107 inter-provincial.
In 2010, the government of Surakarta launched a new bus route named Batik Solo Trans (BST), which resembles TransJakarta
bus rapid transit
service. It has only two routes, the Departure Route (Adisumarmo Airport - Kartasura - Palur) and the Return Route (Palur - Kartasura - Adisumarmo Airport). A single trip costs Rp.3000, Rp.1500 for students. A special ticket for the trip from or to the airport costs Rp.7000.
. Pasar Gede is often visited by tourists, mostly for its unique architecture and fame as the biggest traditional market in the Solo area. The Pasar Klewer is famous for its batiks in all prices and qualities, while the Pasar Triwindhu located near Mangkunegaran palace specializes in antiques. Taman Sriwedari is a popular local entertainment park featuring a children's playground, dangdut
music performance, and Wayang Wong
traditional Javanese dance performance almost every night. Near the park is Radyapustaka Museum, one of the oldest museums in Indonesia, with a collection of Javanese cultural artifacts. The traditional batik
village of Laweyan and Kampung Batik Kauman, located in the southwest part of the city and the city center respectively, are famous for producing fine quality Javanese batik.
Surakarta is located 60 kilometres from Yogyakarta and shares many tourism spots with it. Candi Borobudur, Candi Prambanan, Candi Ratu Boko, Candi Kalasan, and many other Candi or ancient temples are historical tourist sights. Surakarta is located much closer to Candi Cetho
and Candi Sukuh
on the slopes of Mount Lawu
. The mountainous area of Tawangmangu, featuring Grojogan Sewu waterfall on the slope of Mount Lawu, is also a popular destination for tourists during their stay in Surakarta.
Accommodations are widely available, from small lodgings to international chain hotels.
, Nasi Timlo, Tongseng
, Serabi, Sate buntel, Intip, Roti Mandarin, and Bakpia Balong. Gudeg
Solo is also different with Gudeg Yogyakarta, Gudeg Solo is more soupy and rich with thick coconut milk, while gudeg Yogya is dryer and have reddish color from the addition of teak leaf.
and Sekaten
rituals were observed in high importance among its people. The Sunan
(king) of Surakarta, although today no longer holds official actual political power, is still revered and holds important position as cultural symbol among Javanese people.
that differs in some respects from that of other areas. For example, for Surakatans the Javanese word for "cold" is adem, but in Semarang it is atis. The Javanese language of Surakarta and Yogyakarta is used as the standard for all Javanese speakers throughout the nation. Indonesia's official national language is Indonesian
.
s. Several Surakarta dances are characterized with its slow, constrained and refined movements, as the epitome of gracefulness; such as bedhaya
, serimpi, and Surakarta style Wayang wong
. Wayang wong is routinely performed in a wayang wong theatre in Sriwedari park.
held annually, is the event that showcased Surakarta as the center of Javanese batik art as well as the center of creative fashion industry based upon batik.
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Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
of more than 520,061 people (2009) with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency
Karanganyar Regency
Karanganyar is an Indonesian city of approximately 17 distrix located in Central Java.Karanganyar is a regency in the southeastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia, north of Surakarta. Its capital is Karanganyar.-Geography:Karanganyar Regency is located in the south east of Central...
and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency
Karanganyar Regency
Karanganyar is an Indonesian city of approximately 17 distrix located in Central Java.Karanganyar is a regency in the southeastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia, north of Surakarta. Its capital is Karanganyar.-Geography:Karanganyar Regency is located in the south east of Central...
and Sukoharjo Regency
Sukoharjo Regency
Sukoharjo is a regency in the Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Sukoharjo, about 10 km south from Surakarta. This regency is bordered by Surakarta in the north, Karanganyar Regency in the east, Wonogiri Regency and Yogyakarta in the south as well as Klaten Regency in the west.-...
to the east and west, and Sukoharjo Regency
Sukoharjo Regency
Sukoharjo is a regency in the Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Sukoharjo, about 10 km south from Surakarta. This regency is bordered by Surakarta in the north, Karanganyar Regency in the east, Wonogiri Regency and Yogyakarta in the south as well as Klaten Regency in the west.-...
to the south. On the eastern side of Solo lies Bengawan Solo River
Bengawan Solo River
Bengawan Solo River is the longest river on the Indonesian island of Java, approximately 600 km in length. Apart from its importance as watercourse to the inhabitants and farmlands of the eastern and northern parts of the island, it is a renowned region in paleoanthropology circles...
. The city is the seat of Surakarta Sunanate
Surakarta Sunanate
Surakarta Sunanate is a Javanese monarchy centered in the city of Surakarta, in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. The Surakarta Kraton were established in 1745 by Pakubuwono II. Both of Surakarta Sunanate and Yogyakarta Sultanate are the successors of Mataram Sultanate...
kraton (palace/court). Together with Yogyakarta, Surakarta is the heir of the Mataram Kingdom
Mataram Sultanate
The Sultanate of Mataram was the last major independent Javanese empire on Java before the island was colonized by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force in interior Central Java from the late 16th century until the beginning of the 18th century....
that was split into two kingdoms in 1755.
Name
Surakarta is also widely known by the name "Solo". "Surakarta" is used in formal and official contexts. The city has a similar name to the neighboring district of "Kartasura," where the previous capital of MataramMataram Sultanate
The Sultanate of Mataram was the last major independent Javanese empire on Java before the island was colonized by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force in interior Central Java from the late 16th century until the beginning of the 18th century....
was located. The variant spelling "Soerakarta" reflects the Dutch orthography
Dutch orthography
Dutch orthography uses the Latin alphabet according to a system which has evolved to suit the needs of the Dutch language. The regular relationship of graphemes to phonemes is listed in the article on Dutch language...
in use before the 1948 spelling reform.
History
Its ruling family lay claim to being the heirs to the Mataram dynasty. Like Yogyakarta, Solo has two royal palaces.Foundation of the dynasty
A series of wars and clashes between the Adipati (dukes) followed the death of the last Sultan of Demak Bintoro, the first Islamic kingdom in JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. One of these was Jaka Tingkir
Joko Tingkir
Joko Tingkir, or sometimes written as Jaka Tingkir, is the founder and the first king of the Sultanate of Pajang. He ruled from 1549 to 1582. He is also known by the title of Sultan Hadiwijaya.- Ancestry :...
, son-in-law of the late sultan. After defeating the last opponent duke of Jipang-Panola, Jaka Tingkir, also known as Sultan Hadiwijaya, he claimed the throne and moved the capital to the city of Pajang, located about 8 miles from present-day Surakarta. His adopted son, Sutawijaya, formed a conspiracy and killed him with the help of an assassin. Then he ascended the throne and once again moved the capital to Mataram in the present-day province of Yogyakarta, and a new dynasty was founded.
Pakubuwono II
Up until 1744, Solo was little more than a quiet backwater village, 10 km east of Kartasura, the contemporary capital of the Mataram kingdom. But in that year the Mataram susuhunan (king), Pakubuwono II, backed the Chinese against the Dutch, and the court at Kartasura was sacked as a result. Pakubuwono IIPakubuwono II
Pakubuwono II was the last ruler of Kartasura and the first Susuhunan...
searched for a more auspicious spot to rebuild his capital, and in 1745 the entire court was dismantled and transported in a great procession to Surakarta, on the banks of the Kali (River) Solo. February 18, 1745 is regarded as the official birthday of the city. It was said that the place he chose to be the new palace was situated on a small lake. The "babad" or official record of court historians still mentions that the lake was drained by the favor of the mythical queen of the southern sea, Nyi Roro Kidul.
However, the decline continued, and in 1757, after the kingdom of Mataram was divided into the Surakarta Sultanate (northern court) and the Yogyakarta Sultanate (southern court), another rival royal house of Mangkunegoro was established by Raden Mas Said, also known as Pangeran Samber Nyowo (The Slayer Prince), right in the centre of Solo. It marked the success of the Dutch policy of divide et impera (divide and conquer) in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. The Mataram
Mataram Sultanate
The Sultanate of Mataram was the last major independent Javanese empire on Java before the island was colonized by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force in interior Central Java from the late 16th century until the beginning of the 18th century....
held considerable power in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, yet it submitted to the Dutch. Thereafter, Solo's royal houses wisely avoided fighting and instead threw their energies into the arts, developing a highly sophisticated and graceful court culture. The gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
pavilions became the new theaters of war, with each city competing to produce the more refined court culture. Wayang Kulit and Wayang Wong
Wayang wong
Wayang wong also known as Wayang orang is a type of classical Javanese dance theatrical performance with themes taken from episodes of Ramayana or Mahabharata...
are some theatrical arts still performed today.
The Palace contains a notable museum, which used to house a female chastity belt until it was stolen by thieves.
Pakubuwono X
Perhaps the most significant ruler of the 20th century was Pakubuwono XPakubuwono X
Pakubuwono X was the tenth Susuhunan . His reign corresponded with the political changes happening in the Dutch East Indies at the time, in particular the growth of local indigenous political organizations such as Budi Utomo and Sarekat Islam of which he and the royal family were patrons...
. His relationship with the Dutch, his large family, and his popularity contributed to perhaps the largest funeral procession that ever occurred in Solo. He had spent a large amount of money on the Royal Graveyard at Imogiri
Imogiri
Imogiri is a royal graveyard complex in Yogyakarta, in south-central Java, Indonesia, as well as a modern village located near the graveyard in Bantul regency. Imogiri is a traditional resting place for the royalty of central Java, including many rulers of the Sultanate of Mataram and of the...
, both the main sections of the graveyard and the new section that he was buried in. In the era just prior to independence Surakarta had European, Chinese, and Arab quarters.
Struggle for Independence
After hearing the proclamation of Indonesian IndependenceIndonesian Declaration of Independence
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was read at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged...
, both Mangkunegara VII and Pakubuwono IX
Pakubuwono IX
Pakubuwono IX was the ninth Susuhunan . He was born in 1830, the second son of Pakubuwano VI, and reigned from 1861 until his death in 1893.-Honours:...
declared Surakarta a part of the Republic of Indonesia (RI). Because of this support, President Soekarno declared Surakarta the Daerah Istimewa Surakarta (DIS)/"Surakarta Special Region".
In October 1945, an anti-"swapraja" (anti-feudalism/anti-monarchy) movement was established in Surakarta. One of the leaders of this movement was Tan Malaka
Tan Malaka
Tan Malaka was an Indonesian nationalist activist and communist leader. A staunch critic of both the colonial Dutch East Indies government and the republican Sukarno administration that governed the country after the Indonesian National Revolution, he was also frequently in conflict with the...
, a member of the Indonesian Communist Party. This organization wanted to abolish all feudal kingdoms in Surakarta and the Surakarta special region (DIS) and replace all regents in Surakarta. The key issue was whether the end of Dutch rule should bring a total change in the government, or whether the ancient and historic institutions, giving the people a link to pre-colonial times, should be retained.
On October 17, 1945, KRMH Sosrodiningrat, the vizier of Mangkunegara kingdom, was kidnapped and murdered by communists. The new vizier, KRMT Yudonagoro, and 9 other officials from Kepatihan were also kidnapped and murdered by the same movement in March 1946.
In 1946, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) was moved to the nearby city of Yogyakarta.
On June 16, 1946, the DIS was abolished and replaced with the regency (kabupaten) of Surakarta. This event is commemorated as the birthday of the city of Surakarta. This only has administrative and not civic significance.
On June 26, 1946, Prime Minister of Indonesia Sutan Syahrir was kidnapped by a rebel movement led by Major General Soedarsono, the commander of the 3rd division. President Soekarno (more often called Sukarno) was angry at this kidnapping and on July 1, 1946, 14 civilian leaders of this movement, including Tan Malaka, were arrested by Indonesian police.
On July 2, 1946, the rebel leaders were freed from Wirogunan prison by rebel troops, led by Maj. Gen. Soedarsono. President Soekarno asked the local military commander in Surakarta, Lieutenant Colonel Soeharto (who later became President Soeharto [often spelled Suharto]) to arrest Major General Soedarsono and the rebel group. Lt. Col. Soeharto refused to follow this command unless it was given directly by the Military Chief of Staff, General Soedirman. President Soekarno was angry at this rejection of his authority to give direct commands to all levels of the military, and called Lt. Col. Soeharto a stubborn ("koppig") officer.
Lt. Col. Soeharto pretended that he supported the rebellion and persuaded Maj. Gen. Soedarsono and his group to stay at his headquarters at Wiyoro, Surakarta for their own safety. Later that night he persuaded Maj. Gen. Soedarsono to meet President Soekarno at his palace the next morning. Lt. Col. Soeharto secretly informed the presidential guard troops about Maj. Gen. Soedarsono's plan on the next morning.
On July 3, 1946, Maj. Gen. Soedarsono and his group were arrested by the presidential guard near the palace. Prime Minister Syahrir was released unharmed. Several months later, Maj. Gen. Soedarsono and his group were pardoned and released from prison.
Later this rebellion was called the "failed July 3, 1946 coup". This event is mentioned in President Soeharto's autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
published in 1988.
From 1945 to 1948, the Dutch re-occupied various regions in Java. The remaining areas of the Republic of Indonesia were in Yogyakarta, Surakarta, and surrounding areas.
In December 1948, the Dutch attacked and occupied the cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. The Indonesian army led by General Soedirman started a guerrilla war from surrounding areas. The Dutch said that the Republic was destroyed and no longer existed. To disprove this claim, the Indonesian army conducted large-scale raids into the cities of Jogyakarta and Surakarta, called Serangan Oemoem. The Indonesian troops managed to beat the Dutch troops and occupy the city for several hours. The leader of the raid to Yogyakarta was Lt. Col. Soeharto. The leader of a similar raid on Surakarta on August 7, 1949 was Lt. Col. Slamet Riyadi
Slamet Riyadi
Slamet Riyadi is an Indonesian footballer who cuurently plays for Semen Padang in the Indonesia Premier League as a defender.-References:...
. To commemorate this event, the main street of the city of Surakarta was renamed "Brigadier General Slamet Riyadi Street".
Independence
By 1950 Surakarta had a population of 165,484. In 1950 Surakarta, or Solo, was a trade center for such agricultural products as rice, rubber, corn, indigo, cassava, and sugar. It also had seen the development of some industries. These included tanning, textiles, and machinery. Also batikBatik
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.Javanese traditional batik, especially from...
making was a common activity.
1960s troubles
From October 1965 to 1966, there was large-scale chaos in Central Java, following an abortive coup30 September Movement
The Thirtieth of September Movement ) was a self-proclaimed organization of Indonesian National Armed Forces members who, in the early hours of 1 October 1965, assassinated six Indonesian Army generals in an abortive coup d'état. Later that morning, the organization declared that it was in control...
and the subsequent killings of 1965–66
Indonesian killings of 1965–66
The Indonesian killings of 1965–1966 were an anti-communist purge following a failed coup in Indonesia. The most widely accepted estimates are that over half a million people were killed...
.
1998 riot
In May 1998, there was a large riot in Surakarta. It was initially triggered by rising oil prices, with an angry mob ransacking and setting many buildings on fire, particularly banks and official government buildings. But then the situation became uncontrolled as the mob also targeted shopping centers and other commercial buildings for destruction, before it finally turned into a racial riot as rioters targeted houses and business assets of the local IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n-Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, leading to widespread destruction in the region.
Geography
Surakarta is a lowlandLowland
In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
lying on flat terrain 105 m above sea level (in the city center about 95 m above sea level), with an area of 44.1 km2 (0.14 % of the area of Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
). It is approximately 65 km (40.4 mi) northeast of Yogyakarta and 100 km (62.1 mi) southeast of Semarang
Semarang
- Economy :The western part of the city is home to many industrial parks and factories. The port of Semarang is located on the north coast and it is the main shipping port for the province of Central Java. Many small manufacturers are located in Semarang, producing goods such as textiles,...
. The eastern part of the town is bordered by Bengawan Solo River
Bengawan Solo River
Bengawan Solo River is the longest river on the Indonesian island of Java, approximately 600 km in length. Apart from its importance as watercourse to the inhabitants and farmlands of the eastern and northern parts of the island, it is a renowned region in paleoanthropology circles...
, the longest river on Java. The river is the inspiration for the song "Bengawan Solo
Bengawan Solo (song)
Bengawan Solo is a famous Indonesian song about the Solo River, which flows through central and eastern Java, Indonesia and is that island's longest river....
", a 1940s composition by Gesang Martohartono
Gesang Martohartono
Gesang Martohartono was a renowned Indonesian singer-songwriter from central Java, and he is the composer of the song Bengawan Solo, a tune which has become famous throughout Indonesia, Japan, much of Asia, and some other countries in the world. The song is almost synonymous with the kroncong...
which became famous throughout much of Asia. The city's soil is fertile because of the river and its tributaries.
The city is surrounded by Merbabu
Mount Merbabu
Mount Merbabu is a dormant stratovolcano in Central Java province on the Indonesian island of Java. The name Merbabu could be loosely translated as 'Mountain of Ash' from the Javanese combined words; Meru means "mountain" and awu or abu means "ash".The active volcano Mount Merapi is directly...
and Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi , is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548...
(3,115 m high) to the west and Mount Lawu
Mount Lawu
Mount Lawu, or Gunung Lawu, is a massive compound stratovolcano straddling the border between East Java and Central Java, Indonesia. The north side is deeply eroded and the eastern side contains parasitic crater lakes and parasitic cones. A fumarolic area is located on the south flank at 2,550 m...
(2806 m high) to the east. The Sewu Mountain Range lies further south.
Hydrogeology
The water sources for Surakarta are in the valley of Merapi, a total of 19 locations, with a capacity of 3,404 lLitre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
/second. The average source water height is 800-1,200 m above sea level. In 1890–1927 there were only 12 wells in Surakarta. Today, underground water wells in 23 locations produce about 45 l/second.
In March 2006, Surakarta's state water company (PDAM) had a production capacity of 865.02 l/second: from Cokrotulung, Klaten
Klaten
Klaten is a regency in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Klaten.-Geograpy:Klaten borders on Boyolali Regency in the North, Sukoharjo Regency and Wonogiri Regency in the East, and Special Region of Yogyakarta to the South and West...
, 27 km from Solo, 387 l/s; and from 26 deep wells, with a total capacity of 478,02 l/second. The total reservoir capacity is 9,140 m3 and can serve 55,22% of the population.
The soil in Solo is fertile, partly because of the volcanic activity of Mounts Merapi and Lawu. Combined with abundant water source, makes the hinterland good for planting vegetables, food and cash crops. But in the last 20 years, manufacturing industry and tourism have been booming and agriculture declining.
Climate
Under the Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Surakarta features a tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...
. The city has a lengthy wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
spanning from October through June, and a relatively short dry season covering the remaining three months (July through September). On average Surakarta receives just under 2200 mm of rainfall annually, with its wettest months being December, January, and February. As is common in areas featuring a tropical monsoon climate, temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year. Surakarta's average temperature is roughly 30 degrees Celsius every month.
Borders
Surakarta borders the KaranganyarKaranganyar Regency
Karanganyar is an Indonesian city of approximately 17 distrix located in Central Java.Karanganyar is a regency in the southeastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia, north of Surakarta. Its capital is Karanganyar.-Geography:Karanganyar Regency is located in the south east of Central...
and Boyolali Regency in the west and north, Karanganyar and Sukoharjo Regency
Sukoharjo Regency
Sukoharjo is a regency in the Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Sukoharjo, about 10 km south from Surakarta. This regency is bordered by Surakarta in the north, Karanganyar Regency in the east, Wonogiri Regency and Yogyakarta in the south as well as Klaten Regency in the west.-...
in the east, and Sukoharjo Regency in the south. At each of the city borders stands a gapura
Gopuram
A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial...
kraton or Javanese entrance monument, erected in 1931–32 during the reign of Pakubuwono X
Pakubuwono X
Pakubuwono X was the tenth Susuhunan . His reign corresponded with the political changes happening in the Dutch East Indies at the time, in particular the growth of local indigenous political organizations such as Budi Utomo and Sarekat Islam of which he and the royal family were patrons...
in Kasunanan Surakarta. Each of them serves as a border and an entry point to the capital of Kraton Surakarta with the neighboring territories. The gapuras were built not only on highways but also on the riverside of Bengawan Solo. Bengawan Solo used to be a port and crossing point (in Mojo/Silir).
The gapuras were built in two sizes, large and small. Large gapuras were built on major roadways. They can be seen in Grogol (south), Kerten and Jurug (east). Small gapuras can be seen near Dr. Oen Hospital (north), on the road to Baki in Solo Baru (south), Makamhaji (west), and in Mojo/Silir. Each of the large gapuras also has a stele
Stele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
that contains the name of the reigning monarch and the year that it was built.
Administrative division
Surakarta City and its surrounding regencies, Karanganyar, Sukowati, WonogiriWonogiri
Wonogiri is a regency in the southeastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Wonogiri.-Administrative division:Wonogiri Regency is divided into several sub-districts as follows: Baturetno, Batuwarno, Bulukerto, Eromoko, Girimarto, Giritontro, Giriwoyo, Jatipurno, Jatiroto,...
, Sukoharjo, Klaten
Klaten
Klaten is a regency in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Klaten.-Geograpy:Klaten borders on Boyolali Regency in the North, Sukoharjo Regency and Wonogiri Regency in the East, and Special Region of Yogyakarta to the South and West...
, and Boyolali
Boyolali
Boyolali is a regency in the eastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Boyolali.-Geography:The capital also named as Boyolali and lies 27 km to the west from Solo....
, are collectively called the ex-Surakarta Residency (Dutch: Residentie Soerakarta). After Surakarta became a city, it was divided into five subdistricts (kecamatan), each led by a camat, and 51 kelurahan, each led by a lurah. The subdistricts of Surakarta are:
- Kecamatan Pasar Kliwon (Postal code: 57110): 9 kelurahan
- Kecamatan JebresJebresJebres is a subdistrict of Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. It is located on north-east of the city. It has an area of 12.58 km² and population of 127,894 . Unlike other subdistricts of the city, Jebres has some mountainous areas, most notably in Mojosongo...
(Postal code: 57120): 11 kelurahan - Kecamatan Banjarsari (Postal code: 57130): 13 kelurahan
- Kecamatan Lawiyan (also spelled Laweyan, Postal code: 57140): 11 kelurahan
- Kecamatan Serengan (Postal code: 57150): 7 kelurahan
Government
In the current Indonesian context, Surakarta is a city within the province of Central Java. Previous to the Indonesian nation being formed, it was an autonomous kingdom ruled by the Sunan and a principality ruled by the Mangkunegaran.During Dutch occupation Yogyakarta and Surakarta were known as the Vorstenland or principalities. Rivalry between the two has been endemic since their founding in the 18th century and was a deliberate ploy by the Dutch to distract attention from the presence of the Dutch colonial power.
The hereditary ruler of the kraton
Kraton
Kraton or Keraton is the Javanese word for a royal palace. Its name is derived from ratu, which means "ruler" . In Java, the palace of a prince is called puro or dalem...
or main court within the city bears the title of Pakubuwono, the present king being Pakubuwono XIII
Pakubuwono XIII
The title Pakubuwono XIII represents the thirteenth Susuhunan ; it previously has two claimants. Upon the death of Pakubuwono XII with no clear heir as there was no official Queen installed, two half-brothers who are sons of Pakubuwono XII claimed the throne...
. Like Yogyakarta, Solo also has a junior court, born of another civil war: the Mangkunegaran
Mangkunegaran
Mangkunegaran is a small hereditary Grand duchy located within the region of Surakarta in Indonesia.It was established in 1757 by Raden Mas Said, when he submitted his army to Pakubuwana III in February, and swore allegiance to the rulers of Surakarta, Yogyakarta, and the Dutch East Indies Company,...
, a small principality inside Kasunanan, of which Mangkunegara IX
Mangkunegara IX
Mangku Negara IX is the current traditional ruler of the former state of Mangkunegaran, located in Java, in modern Indonesia. He succeeded the last ruler, Mangku Negara VIII, as Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Mangku Negara on 3 September 1987.-References:...
is the present monarch. Neither holds any political power and according to Indonesian law, both only have civilian status.
Mayor
The current mayor of Surakarta is Joko WidodoJoko Widodo
Joko Widodo was born in Surakarta, June 21, 1961. He is better known by his nickname Jokowi, is the mayor of Surakarta for the second time until 2015. The vice mayor is F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo...
(nicknamed Jokowi), and his vice mayor is F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo. The pair were elected on 2005 and reelected on 2010 for another five-year term. The mayor was chosen as one of the 10 persons of the year by Tempo
Tempo magazine (Indonesia)
Tempo is an Indonesian weekly magazine that covers news and politics. It was founded by Goenawan Mohamad and Yusril Djalinus and the first edition was published in March 1971.-New Order era:...
magazine.
Under Joko Widodo's mayorship, the city has experienced a marked improvement. He rebranded and promoted Solo as "The Spirit of Java," a Javanese culture and heritage center, batik
Batik
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.Javanese traditional batik, especially from...
capital, and tourist-friendly city.
Juridicially, the City of Surakarta was formed based on Government Regulation No. 16/SD 1946, announced at July 15, 1946. Based on several historical factors, June 16, 1946 is set as the anniversary of the Government of Surakarta. The city anniversary itself is celebrated every February 16, based on the date of the moving of the palace from Kartasura to Surakarta in 1745. On February 16, 2011, the city celebrated its 256th anniversary.
Demography
One of the earliest censuses held in Surakarta Residency (Residentie Soerakarta) was in 1885. At that time, with an area of about 5,677 km², there were 1,053,985 people in Surakarta Residency, including 2,694 Europeans and 7,543 Indonesian-Chinese. The area, 130 times the current area of Surakarta, had a population density of 186 people/km². The capital of the residency itself (roughly the size of the City of Solo proper) in 1880 had 124,041 people living in it.According to the 2009 census, there were 245,043 males and 283,159 females (a sex ratio of 86.54) in Surakarta. 119,951 of the population were 14 years or younger, 376,180 were between 15 and 64, and 32,071 were above 65. The number of households was 142,627 and the average number of household members was 3.7. The population growth in the last 10 years was about 0.565 % per year.
Compared to other cities in Indonesia, Surakarta is the most densely populated city in Central Java, the eighth most densely populated city in Indonesia, the 13th smallest city in Indonesia, and the 22nd most populous of 93 autonomous cities and 5 administrative cities in Indonesia.
The labor force of Solo in 2009 was 275,546, of whom 246,768 were working, while 28,778 were seeking work. Another 148,254 people aged 15 and above were not in the labor force. Based on employment numbers, the most common work in Solo was worker/paid employee (112,336), followed by self-employee (56,112), self-employee assisted by temporary employee (32,769), unpaid employee (20,193), self-employee assisted by permanent employee (14,880), freelance employee in non-agricultural work (10,241), and freelance employee in agricultural work (237). Based on the industry, most people in Solo worked in trade (106,426), services (59,780), manufacturing (42,065), communication (16,815), construction (9,217), financing (9,157), or agriculture (2,608), and the rest in mining, electricity, gas, and water companies (700).
The mean working week in Solo was 47.04 hours (47.74 for men and 46.13 for women), and 212,262 people worked more than 35 hours per week compared to 34,506 who worked less than that.
Education
According to 2009 statistics, 242,070 people above 15 in the city had finished high school, while 86,890 had only finished junior high school, and 94,840 were still in school or had only finished elementary school. The percentage of high-school graduates was the highest of the cities and regencies in Central Java.According to the statistics of Data Pokok Pendidikan (Dapodik), in the 2010/2011 school year, there were 68,153 students and 853 schools in Surakarta. Currently there are two state universities in Surakarta: Sebelas Maret University
Sebelas Maret University
Sebelas Maret University is an Indonesian public university in the suburban area of Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. It is colloquially known as UNS or UNS Solo.-History:...
(UNS) and Art Institute of Surakarta (ISI). There are also 52 private universities and colleges.
Economy
Consumer price index
A consumer price index measures changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households. The CPI, in the United States is defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of...
in January 2011 was 119.44.
Surakarta has several traditional markets (pasar), including Pasar Klewer, Pasar Gedhe, Pasar Legi, and Pasar Kembang. Pasar Klewer is famous as the biggest textile market in Indonesia. There are also antiques markets in Pasar Triwindu and in Pasar Keris near the palace of Surakarta. Every night there is the Galabo Open Food Court near the City Hall, and every Saturday night the Ngarsopuro Night Market near Slamet Riyadi Road.
The business centre in Solo is located along the main artery road of Slamet Riyadi. Several banks, hotels, shopping centres, international retsaurants, and also tourism destinations are located along this road. Every Sunday morning from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., this road is closed as the city government designates that day Solo Car Free Day (SCFD) along the Slamet Riyadi Road in a campaign to reduce carbon emissions. Modern malls in Solo are Solo Square, Solo Grand Mall, and Solo Paragon (under construction).
On the outskirts of the city there are several industrial zones, such as Palur, Grogol, and Jetis. Large corporations headquartered in Solo include Sritex (textiles), Indo Acidatama (industrial chemicals), and Konimex (pharmaceuticals). The batik home industry has also become one of Solo's specialty industries.
Public services
There are many hospitals in Solo; some with 24-hour ICU facilities are PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital, Panti Kustati Hospital, Islamic Hospital of Surakarta, Kasih Ibu Hospital, Dr. Moewardi Hospital, Panti Waluyo Hospital, Brayat Minulyo Hosipital, Panti Kosala (Dr. Oen Kandang Sapi) Hospital, and Dr. Oen Hospital in Solo Baru. Public parks are also numerous, especially since Joko Widodo became mayor of Solo. He revitalized several parks and now the public of Solo can enjoy Balekambang Park, Sekartaji Park, Sriwedari Park, and Jurug Zoo, one of the oldest and biggest zoos in Indonesia. In Sriwedari Park there is also public entertainment such as Wayang Orang theatre GWO Sriwedari, and the night market in Ngarsopuro, which only opens on Saturday nights.The area code of Solo is (+62)271. Coin or card phone booths are rare, but there are many phone shops and small stalls selling prepaid phone credits. Internet cafes are also abundant. Several public places such as restaurants and cafes provide Wi-Fi access to their customers too.
Sports
Surakarta has a long sport history and tradition. In 1923 Solo already had a football club, one of the earliest clubs in Indonesia (at that time still the Dutch Indies), called Persis SoloPersis Solo
Persis Solo is an Indonesian football team based in Solo , Central Java. As for the 2010 season of the Liga Indonesia, Persis Solo play in the Indonesian Marimas League at Central Region.-History:...
. Persis Solo was a giant club in the Dutch Indies and still exists, but is past its heyday. During the Perserikatan tournament, Persis became seven-time champion. Currently it plays in the Premier Division
Indonesian Premier Division
Liga Indonesia Premier Division is the regionalised second level of the football competition system in Indonesia, organized by the Football Association of Indonesia . The competition is usually divided geographically into three groups of "West Region", "Central Region", and "East Region"...
. Other than Persis, several clubs have existed in Solo: Arseto, Pelita Solo
Pelita Jaya
Pelita Jaya FC is an Indonesian football team located in Karawang, Indonesia founded in 1986. It was one of the most successful clubs in the Galatama era. The club's finance is mostly supported by The Bakrie Group....
, Persijatim Solo FC, and lastly Solo FC, that plays in the Indonesian Premier League
Indonesian Premier League
Indonesian Premier League is the highest level of professional competition for football clubs in Indonesia since 2011. This competition is managed by PT Liga Prima Indonesia Sportindo, under supervision of the Football Association of Indonesia...
since 2011. Both clubs that still exist, Persis and Solo FC, have made Manahan Stadium
Manahan Stadium
Manahan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is used as the home venue for Persis Solo. This stadium now holds 35,000 spectators.-Sport events:...
their home ground. Manahan Stadium is one of the best sport stadiums in Central Java, with more than 25,000 seats, and has several times hosted national and international matches. It was recently the venue for the AFC Champions Cup 2007, the final venue of the Indonesian Cup 2010, and the opening venue for the Indonesian Premiere League on January 15, 2011.
In 1948, Solo also became the host of the first National Games
Pekan Olahraga Nasional
The Pekan Olahraga Nasional is a multi-sport event held every four years in Indonesia...
, whose opening date is still marked as the National Sports Day of Indonesia. At that tournament, Solo as Surakarta Residency came out as the champion.
Until 2009, Solo was also the only city in Central Java with a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team: Bhinneka Solo. In 2009 the team was merged with Stadium Jakarta and moved to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
.
Sports stadiums in the city other than Manahan Stadium include Sriwedari Stadium, Kota Barat Stadium, Bengawan Sport Center, and Bhinneka Basketball Stadium, recently renamed as Sritex Basketball and Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
Stadium.
Air
Adisumarmo International AirportAdisumarmo International Airport
Adi Sumarmo International Airport is an airport in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. It is located 14 km north of the city. It was the sole international level airport in Southern Central Java, until the upgrading of the Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta and the Achmad Yani International...
(airport code: SOC) has direct flights to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
by Air Asia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
by Silk Air and, during the hajj season, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, as well as regular flights to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
by Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia
PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk , publicly known as Garuda Indonesia, is the flag carrier of Indonesia. It is named after the mystical giant bird Garuda of Hinduism and Buddhist mythology. It is headquartered at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia...
, Sriwijaya Air
Sriwijaya Air
Sriwijaya Air is an airline based in Jakarta with headquarters in Central Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. It offers domestic flights to major cities in Indonesia and limited International destinations...
, Lion Air
Lion Air
Not to be confused with the Sri Lankan airline Lionair.PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is Indonesia’s largest private carrier and Asia’s first hybrid carrier which offers both economy and business-class seating, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lion Air also flies to Singapore,...
and Batavia Air
Batavia Air
Batavia Air is an airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates domestic flights to around 30 destinations and international services to Singapore, China and Malaysia. Its main base is Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta...
. Also since April 2011 there are two new routes: SOC-BDO (Bandung) and SOC-SUB (Surabaya), operated by Sky Aviation
Sky Aviation (Indonesia)
Sky Aviation is an regional airline based in Indonesia. Sky Aviation was established as an Air Charter service in 2010 with a fleet of two Cirrus aircraft. After a management change in 2010, the airline is now expanding its services as a scheduled airline...
. The airport is located 14 km north of the city. Since May 2011, BST (Batik Solo Trans) buses connect the airport to the city. There is also taxicab service. In 2009 Adisumarmo had 2,060 outbound domestic flights and 616 outbound international flights.
Train
Surakarta has four train stationTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s, Solo Balapan, Purwosari, Solo Jebres, and Solo Kota (Sangkrah). Solo Balapan is the largest station in Surakarta, and is the junction between Yogyakarta (westward), Semarang (northward), and Surabaya (eastward), while Purwosari is the junction located west of Solo Balapan, and has a connection to Wonogiri (southward). There are several direct lines to other cities, such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Semarang, Madiun, and Malang. For regional traffic, a special train connects Surakarta and Yogyakarta, the Prameks train.
Surakarta is unique because it is the only Indonesian city to still have a street-parallel rail track between Purwosari and Solo Kota, along Jalan Slamet Riyadi, Solo's main road. A heritage railway, called Jaladara, also operates between the two stations. Historically, Purwosari had the junction to Boyolali (westward).
In July 26, 2011 the Railbus
Railbus
A railbus is a very lightweight type passenger rail vehicle that shares many aspects of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus, or modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies...
has been launched to serve Surakarta/Solo-Wonogiri
Wonogiri
Wonogiri is a regency in the southeastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Wonogiri.-Administrative division:Wonogiri Regency is divided into several sub-districts as follows: Baturetno, Batuwarno, Bulukerto, Eromoko, Girimarto, Giritontro, Giriwoyo, Jatipurno, Jatiroto,...
route, but for the moment only Solo-Sukoharjo trackage was ready due to there are 99 bridges should be strenghten between Sukoharjo-Wonogiri.
Road
Tirtonadi Terminal is the largest bus terminal in Surakarta. Surakarta is situated on Indonesian National Route 15, which connects it to Yogyakarta and Waru (SidoarjoSidoarjo
Sidoarjo is a regency of East Java, Indonesia.Sidoarjo is bordered by Surabaya city and Gresik regency to the north, by Pasuruan regency to the south, by Mojokerto regency to the west and by the Madura Strait to the east. It has an area of 634.89 km², making it the smallest regency in East Java. ...
). A Semarang-Solo Toll Road is currently under construction. In 2009 the total extent of roadways in the city was 705.34 km: 13.15 km state road, 16.33 km province road, and 675.86 km local road. The number of bus companies was 23, and the total number of buses operating was 1,115 intra-provincial buses and 1,107 inter-provincial.
In 2010, the government of Surakarta launched a new bus route named Batik Solo Trans (BST), which resembles TransJakarta
TransJakarta
TransJakarta is a bus rapid transit system in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was the first BRT system in Southern and Southeast Asia. TransJakarta started on January 15, 2004. As of March 2011, there were 10 corridors in operation, with five more to be built...
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
service. It has only two routes, the Departure Route (Adisumarmo Airport - Kartasura - Palur) and the Return Route (Palur - Kartasura - Adisumarmo Airport). A single trip costs Rp.3000, Rp.1500 for students. A special ticket for the trip from or to the airport costs Rp.7000.
Tourism
The main tourist attraction of Surakarta is Keraton Surakarta, the palace of Susuhunan Pakubuwono, also the Princely Javanese court of MangkunegaranMangkunegaran
Mangkunegaran is a small hereditary Grand duchy located within the region of Surakarta in Indonesia.It was established in 1757 by Raden Mas Said, when he submitted his army to Pakubuwana III in February, and swore allegiance to the rulers of Surakarta, Yogyakarta, and the Dutch East Indies Company,...
. Pasar Gede is often visited by tourists, mostly for its unique architecture and fame as the biggest traditional market in the Solo area. The Pasar Klewer is famous for its batiks in all prices and qualities, while the Pasar Triwindhu located near Mangkunegaran palace specializes in antiques. Taman Sriwedari is a popular local entertainment park featuring a children's playground, dangdut
Dangdut
Dangdut is a genre of Indonesian popular music that is partly derived from Malay, Arabic, and Hindustani music. It developed in the 1970s among working-class Muslim youth, but beginning in the late 1990s reached a broader following in lower class Indonesians, Malaysia, and the southern...
music performance, and Wayang Wong
Wayang wong
Wayang wong also known as Wayang orang is a type of classical Javanese dance theatrical performance with themes taken from episodes of Ramayana or Mahabharata...
traditional Javanese dance performance almost every night. Near the park is Radyapustaka Museum, one of the oldest museums in Indonesia, with a collection of Javanese cultural artifacts. The traditional batik
Batik
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.Javanese traditional batik, especially from...
village of Laweyan and Kampung Batik Kauman, located in the southwest part of the city and the city center respectively, are famous for producing fine quality Javanese batik.
Surakarta is located 60 kilometres from Yogyakarta and shares many tourism spots with it. Candi Borobudur, Candi Prambanan, Candi Ratu Boko, Candi Kalasan, and many other Candi or ancient temples are historical tourist sights. Surakarta is located much closer to Candi Cetho
Candi Cetho
Cetho is a fifteenth century Javanese-Hindu temple that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu on the border between Central and East Java provinces....
and Candi Sukuh
Candi Sukuh
Sukuh is a 15th century Javanese-Hindu temple that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu on the border between Central and East Java provinces....
on the slopes of Mount Lawu
Mount Lawu
Mount Lawu, or Gunung Lawu, is a massive compound stratovolcano straddling the border between East Java and Central Java, Indonesia. The north side is deeply eroded and the eastern side contains parasitic crater lakes and parasitic cones. A fumarolic area is located on the south flank at 2,550 m...
. The mountainous area of Tawangmangu, featuring Grojogan Sewu waterfall on the slope of Mount Lawu, is also a popular destination for tourists during their stay in Surakarta.
Accommodations are widely available, from small lodgings to international chain hotels.
Cuisine
Food associated with Surakarta includes Nasi LiwetNasi liwet
Nasi liwet is a kind of food from Solo, Central Java. As we know, rice is usually cooked in water, but nasi liwet is rice cooked in coconut milk. This is a traditional Javanese way of cooking, from the past until now. In the past, the pan used for cooking was made of clay...
, Nasi Timlo, Tongseng
Tongseng
Tongseng is goat meat or beef stew dishes in curry-like soup with vegetables and kecap manis . Originally from Surakarta in Indonesian province of Central Java....
, Serabi, Sate buntel, Intip, Roti Mandarin, and Bakpia Balong. Gudeg
Gudeg
Gudeg is a traditional food from Yogyakarta and Central Java, Indonesia which is made from young Nangka boiled for several hours with palm sugar, and coconut milk . Additional spices include garlic, shallot, candlenut, coriander seed, galangal, bay leaves, and teak leaves, the latter giving a...
Solo is also different with Gudeg Yogyakarta, Gudeg Solo is more soupy and rich with thick coconut milk, while gudeg Yogya is dryer and have reddish color from the addition of teak leaf.
Culture
Surakarta together with Yogyakarta is well known as the cultural heartland of Java. As the centre of surviving Javanese court (kraton), Surakarta is famous for its refined, highly polished aesthetic, and sophisticated Javanese art. The Kraton served as an important center dedicated for the preservation of Javanese culture. Several important traditional Javanese ceremonies such as Satu SuroSatu Suro
Satu Suro is the first day of the Javanese calendar year in the month of Sura , corresponding with the Islamic month of Muharram....
and Sekaten
Sekaten
Sekaten is a week long Javanese traditional ceremony, festival, fair and pasar malam commemorating Mawlid , celebrated annually started on 5th day through the 12th day of Mulud month...
rituals were observed in high importance among its people. The Sunan
Sunan (Indonesian title)
Sunan is the shorter version of "Susuhunan", both used as an honorific in Java Indonesia.According to Hamka in his book Dari Perbendaharaan Lama the word derived from a Javanese word for position of hands in reverential salutation, done with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers...
(king) of Surakarta, although today no longer holds official actual political power, is still revered and holds important position as cultural symbol among Javanese people.
Local dialect
The mother tongue of Surakartans is a local variety of JavaneseJavanese language
Javanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
that differs in some respects from that of other areas. For example, for Surakatans the Javanese word for "cold" is adem, but in Semarang it is atis. The Javanese language of Surakarta and Yogyakarta is used as the standard for all Javanese speakers throughout the nation. Indonesia's official national language is Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
.
Dances
As the center of Javanese courtly culture, Surakarta is the center of royal Javanese danceJavanese dance
Javanese dance is the dances and art forms that were created and influenced by Javanese culture. Javanese dance is usually associated with courtly, refined and sophisticated culture of the Javanese kratons, such as the Bedhaya and Srimpi dance...
s. Several Surakarta dances are characterized with its slow, constrained and refined movements, as the epitome of gracefulness; such as bedhaya
Bedhaya
The bedhaya is a sacred ritualized dance of Java, Indonesia, associated with the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta...
, serimpi, and Surakarta style Wayang wong
Wayang wong
Wayang wong also known as Wayang orang is a type of classical Javanese dance theatrical performance with themes taken from episodes of Ramayana or Mahabharata...
. Wayang wong is routinely performed in a wayang wong theatre in Sriwedari park.
Batik
The batik of Solo (Surakarta) is known as among the oldest batik tradition in Java. The typical style of Solo batik is its sogan (dark yellow) color, in contrast with Yogyakarta batik has whitish background. The main production centers of traditional Solo batik is in Kauman area and Laweyan, and Pasar Klewer is the main batik market in the city.Surakarta in popular culture
In popular culture of Indonesia, the term Putri Solo (Solo Princess) is a well known idiom to describe the extraordinary beauty and grace of the Surakarta ladies. It is also popularly known among Indonesian ethnicities that the people of Solo are known for their politeness, well behave, refined, careful and often speak very softly. The Solo Batik CarnivalSolo Batik Carnival
The Solo Batik Carnival is an annual carnival held in Solo City , Indonesia.- Solo Batik Carnival 1 :The first Solo Batik Carnival was held on April 13, 2008 along the main street of Solo City, Slamet Riyadi Street....
held annually, is the event that showcased Surakarta as the center of Javanese batik art as well as the center of creative fashion industry based upon batik.
Sister cities
MontanaMontana, Bulgaria
- Elite High Scools :*Foreign Language HS "Petar Bogdan". Emphasis on English and German language proficiency. Recognized and praised for its scholars' academic accomplishments worldwide. http://gpchemont.com/sitegpche/...
, Bulgaria. Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Spain Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
Further reading
- Miksic, John (general ed.), et al. (2006) Karaton Surakarta. A look into the court of Surakarta Hadiningrat, central Java (First published: 'By the will of His Serene Highness Paku Buwono XII'. Surakarta: Yayasan Pawiyatan Kabudayan Karaton Surakarta, 2004) Marshall Cavendish Editions Singapore ISBN 981-261-226-2
- Soeharto, G. Dwipayana dan Ramadhan K.H. "Ucapan, Pikiran dan Tindakan Saya". 1988. PT Citra Lamtoro Gung.
- Miksic, John (general ed.), et al. (2006) Karaton Surakarta. A look into the court of Surakarta Hadiningrat, central Java (First published: 'By the will of His Serene Highness Paku Buwono XII'. Surakarta: Yayasan Pawiyatan Kabudayan Karaton Surakarta, 2004) Marshall Cavendish Editions Singapore ISBN 981-261-226-2
- Soeharto, G. Dwipayana dan Ramadhan K.H. "Ucapan, Pikiran dan Tindakan Saya". 1988. PT Citra Lamtoro Gung.
- Paku Buwono XII (Sunan of Surakarta), A. Mutholi'in, "Kraton Surakarta", Yayasan Pawiyatan Kabudayan Karaton Surakarta, 2004
- Nancy K. Florida, Javanese literature in Surakarta manuscripts / Vol. 1 Introduction and manuscripts of the Karaton Surakarta, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), 1993.
- Nancy K. Florida, Javanese literature in Surakarta manuscripts / Vol. 2 Manuscripts of the Mangkunagaran Palace, Cornell University Ithaca, NY : Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), 2000.
- Nancy K. Florida, "Writing the past, inscribing the future: history as prophesy in colonial Java", Duke University Press, 1995
- Richard Anderson Sutton, "Traditions of gamelan music in Java: musical pluralism and regional identity", CUP Archive, 1991
- Clara Brakel-Papenhuijzen, "Classical Javanese dance: the Surakarta tradition and its terminology", KITLV Press, 1995
- The domestication of desire: Women, wealth, and modernity in Java (1998) Brenner, Suzanne April. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
- Kraton and Kumpeni: Surakarta and Yogyakarta, 1830-1870 (1994) Houben, V. J. H.. Leiden: KITLV Press.
- Prelude to revolution: Palaces and politics in Surakarta, 1912-1942 (1987) Larson, George D.. Dordrecht, Holland and Providence, R.I., U.S.A.: Foris Publications.
- Solo in the new order: Language and hierarchy in an Indonesian city (1986) Siegel, James T.. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
- Pakubuwono's kraton of Surakarta: Short guide to Surakarta's grandeur : the palace of the Susuhunans Pakubuwono (1980) No contributors listed. Jakarta: Proyek Pengembangan Sarana Wisata Budaya Jakarta.
- Miftah Sanaji, "Wisata Kuliner Makanan Daerah Khas Solo", Gramedia 2009, ISBN 9789792252095
- "Ekspedisi Bengawan Solo", Laporan Jurnalistik Kompas, Kompas 2009, ISBN 9789797093907
- Linda Carolina Brotodjojo, "Jajanan Kaki Lima Khas Solo", Gramedia 2008, ISBN 9789792241433
- Izharry Agusjaya Moenzir, "Gesang", Gramedia 2010, ISBN 9789792259117
External links
- Official website of the government of Surakarta
- Solo City General Forum - Visitors' Guide and many pictures.
- Military History Centre - "Serangan Oemoem" (August 7, 1949).
- VisitSolo.com - Visit Solo - the Spirit of JAVA
- Interactive map, information on places of interest and accommodations