Cirebon's history crumbling away

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon

A number of deteriorating historical and traditional buildings in Cirebon, West Java, are on the brink of destruction due to poor maintenance and old age.

Head of the Cirebon Cultural Council, Ahmad Syubhanuddin Alwy, said 52 historical buildings in the city have been categorized as being in a poor state.

"(Cirebon's) historical and artistic buildings are in a sorry state. Most of them are in very poor conditions. I'm afraid that they will be wiped out if no action is taken to save them," he said.

"The neglected buildings no longer look beautiful, but rather rundown and eerie. Most of their parts are starting to crumble due to old age."

Ahmad believes that the destruction of the city's historical buildings, which are part of Cirebon's cultural heritage, could eventually erase the history of the city.

"The history of Cirebon will be lost together with the loss of the historical buildings. There should be concrete actions to save the old buildings, because besides being a part of Cirebon's history, the buildings are also part of national heritage," he said.

Most of the damaged historical buildings were constructed during the Dutch colonial era, while the older, more traditional buildings were inherited from the divided Cirebon sultanates of Kasepuhan and Kanoman.

Among the ancient buildings still intact are the Kasepuhan Palace, built in 1529, and Kanoman Palace, built in 1588.

According to Ahmad, the spectacular nature of buildings and artifacts from the Kasepuhan sultanate is due to the influence of three prominent cultures during the period -- Cirebon (Islam), Chinese (Buddhism) and Indian (Hinduism).

Aspects of the three cultures were manifest in the design of the official Kasepuhan ruler's vehicle, the Singa Barong horse carriage.

The Singa Barong was built in 1549 by Panembahan Losari, who was assisted by Ki Notoguno and Kaliwulu. The carvings on the carriage portray the blend between the three cultures, symbolized by a trisula (three-pronged spear) and an elephant trunk.

One of the Dutch-era buildings, built in 1910, was transformed into Cirebon's Kesambi Penitentiary.

"Dutch-era buildings that still exist up to now are, among others, the Bank Indonesia building, the PT BAT cigarette factory and the Santo Joseph church. They are the few remaining buildings from the Dutch era that are still standing strong," Ahmad said.

He urged the government to help salvage the historical and traditional buildings, and insisted that "precise actions" were required if a major part of Cirebon's history is to saved.

Cirebon's municipal council has also attempted to pressure the government into accepting responsibility for the restoration and preservation of the city's historical buildings.

The speaker from the council's commission on developmental affairs, Tjipto, said his committee would urge the government to allocate special funds for a restoration project.

"Preserving the historical buildings is very important for the sake of the younger generations, so that they can have a reference to the history of the nation," said Tjipto.