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Yogyakarta Presidential Palace is located at the southern end of Jl. Akhmad Yani Istana Kepresidenan Dari Depan (formerly Jl. Malioboro); Ngupasan, Gondomanan Sub District, Yogyakarta. The complex was built on 43,585 meters per square land. Since it was built, the palace has not changed much.

At the front yard, stands a two meters tall statue of a giant gurding the entrance (Dwarapala). Moreover, there is a 3 and half meters “tugu” (a statue in the form of tall pillar) named ‘Tugu Dagoba” (the Yogyakartans call it “Tugu Lilin/candle”), with artificial flame on top. It is made of “andesite” rock. The backyard is full of big trees shading the presidential palace with their thick leaves. Yogyakarta Presidential Palace is also well known as “Gedung Agung” (the Great Building) or “Gedung Negara” (the State Building). One of the main functions of the main building of the palace is a place to receive royal guests.

Yogyakarta Presidential Palace was formerly an officicial house of the 18th Resident in Yogyakarta (1823 – 1825). He was a Dutch named Anthonie Hendriks Smissaert, who was also the one initiating the construction of the “Gedung Agung”. The building was built in May 1824 by A. Payen, an architect appointed by the Governor General of West Indies. The construction was temporarily delayed due to the Diponegoro War (1825 – 1830) and continued after the war was over (1832). Among several Dutch governors who lived in the building were J.E. Jesper (1926 – 1927); P.R.W. van Gesseler Verschuur (1929 – 1932); H.M. de Kock (1932 – 1935); J. Bijlevel (1935 – 1940); and L. Adam (1940 – 1942). At the time of Japan colonization, the palace served as the official house for the leader in Yogyakarta, Koochi Zimmukyoku Tyookan.

On 6 January 1946, Yogyakarta was announced as the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia after the Indonesian Government moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta. At that time, “Gedung Agung” became a Presdintial Palace, a home for president Soekarno, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, as well as his family.

On 28 December 1949, President Soekarno moved to Jakarta, and since then the palace was no longer the home of the president. After the independence, when the second president of the Republic of Indonesia ruled to be exact, since 17 April 1988, Yogyakarta Presidential Palace/”Gedung Agung” has been functioning as a place to conduct the Afternoon Parade Ceremony every 17 August, to hold initiation events for the Indonesian Air Forces’ newcomers as well as farewel parties between the Indonesian Armed Forces junior officer graduates and the Governor and people of Yogyakarta. Furthermore, since 17 August 1991, D.I. Yogyakarta has been commemorating the Seconds of the Proclamation of the Independence at Yogyakarta Presidential Palace.