The Keraton Kartasura Wall was Uprooted

Kartasura Keraton Fortress Wall was uprooted

The case of the destruction of the former Kartasura Palace wall seized the attention of the Ministry of Culture of Research and Technology (Kemendikbud Ristek). Director General (Director General)Ministry of Education and Culture Ristek.Hilmar Farid immediately reviewed the location of the vandalism in Krapyak Kulon Village, Kartasura, Sukoharjo, Sunday (24/04) afternoon. Accompanied Sukoharjo Regent Etik Suryani and Head of the Cultural Reserve Preservation Center (BPCB) Sukronedi, Hilmar promised that the status of the site from the allegedly cultural heritage (OGCB) object into a cultural heritage (BCB) object was immediately carried out.

"I think the determination is first because the walls that experience vandalism are part of a larger site," he explained. Although still ODCG status, Hilmar continued, Law Number 11 Republic of Indonesia in 2010 about the cultural heritage could be applied to the Kalaton Kalaton Heriton site. After the review, Hilmar and related stakeholders will immediately formulate further steps related to the management of the site, considering the study conducted by BPCB Sukoharjo has been completed.

Hilmar added, there is also a need for education for all surrounding residents about the importance of caring for past lives.

Meanwhile, the caretaker of the castle site Kartasura Palace Mas Ngabehi (MNg) Suryo Astana Hadiprajanagoro said that the walls that were damaged were the outside of the Kartasura Palace or the wall of the Baluwarti area. He said, the inner ruins of Kartasura Keraton are now divided into two. The inside is called the fortress of the cempuri and the status of the land belongs to the palace. "If outside is already public property. It has been certified and traded," he concluded.

Fortress of the former Kartasura Palace became part of the history of the glory of the Kingaran Mataran Islam in Java. Kartasura Palace has two fortresses namely the inner fort named Srimanganti and the outside fort named Baluwarti.

Inside the Srimanganti Fortress there are mosques, wards, and ceiling. While Benteng Baluwarti is located only about a few meters from the Srimanganti fort.

    Sukoharjo Regent Etik Suryani 

Mas Ngabehi Suryo Hastono, said that in the past, the length of the Baluwarti Fortress could be more than one kilometer. Now, the remaining Fortress building is only 100 meters long. The fort was uprooted by residents for material access to the fort.

"In ancient times, many people were ndodosi stones of fortresses to build houses. Taken one, two and so on. Some of the fort buildings turned into residents' yards," he said when met by reporters at the Kartasura Palace Fortress, Sunday (4/24/2022).

Suryo said the condition had occurred for years because the public took the former Kartasura Palace was no longer used after the Mataram government moved to the city of Solo in 1745. For hundreds of years, the condition of the outer fort building is not maintained and promulgated.

"Now, after the Cultural Heritage Law was published, no one would dare to take a fortress brick because there were sanctions. However, before there was a Cultural Heritage Law in 2010, many residents wanted to build a house to take the Brick Brick Outside," he said.

Suryo said the landowner who broke into the wall of Baluwarti Baluwarti Kartasura did not coordinate in advance with the village government or related parties. Suryo considers the roof of the Kartasura Palace Fortress to be a fatal mistake. "Luckily caught and project activities were immediately stopped. If not, it's all [Fort Baluwarti] runs out, there is no remaining," he said.

Representative of the land buyer's family, Bambang Cahyono said, about a month ago the family bought 682 square meters of land where partly stood the Kartasura Keraton Fortress wall.

He also said, the head of the RT and local residents even asked to dismantle the wall because it spent the RT cash budget. 

The Kartasura Keraton Fortress wall has a length of about 65 meters. While the in length is about 7.4 meters long, 2 meters wide and 3.5 meters high. The Kalaton Palace Wall is made of a brick order that has a thick centimeter size, width of 18.5 centimeters and a length of 3.4 centimeters. The wall was made around 1680.

Bambang said, the 682 square meter land was purchased from someone who currently lives in Lampung at a price of Rp 850 million.

"First, her mother Linawati. Her house is in here but now joins her husband in Lampung. The area is 682 square meters for Rp. 850 million.

He admitted, during cleaning the land where the place of business would be built no one directed if the area was part of the cultural heritage.

In fact, he said, the head of the local RT asked him to dismantle the wall of the Kartasura Keraton Fortress because it harmed cash for decades. Every cleaning weeds in the land spent cash of Rp 300,000.

"It is precisely Mr. RT and residents ordered to clean this. Tells to be dismantled, he said he spent the RT cash for decades," he said.

Bambang said just breaking a portion of the Kalaton Kalaton Kartasura wall on the grounds to access the material entry of material vehicles. The plan is planned to be built for a place of business.

"The plan is to build a boarding house," he added.

Civil Servant Civil Service Investigation Team (PPCB) Cultural Preservation Center (BPCB) Still collects data at the location of the destruction of the Kalon Kulon Kulon Keraton Keraton Kulon RT 002 / RW 010, Kartasura Village, Kartasura District, Sukoharjo, Central Java, Saturday (23/4 / 2022). 

"Today's data collection first. So later we will continue data collection, we specify related to the elements (criminal acts) in or not," said PPNS Team BPCB Harun Al Rasyid in Kartasura, Sukoharjo, Central Java, Saturday.

Harun added, if there was a criminal element in the destruction of the Kartasuta Keraton Fortress wall, the sanctions were in accordance with Law No. 11 of 2010 concerning Cultural Heritage.

In Article 105 Jo Article 166 Paragraph (1) Everyone who deliberately damages the cultural heritage as referred to in Article 66 paragraph (1) in the prison at least 1 year and a maximum of 15 years and or a fine of at least Rp. 500 million and at most Rp. 5 billion.

Regarding whether there is a suspicion of misappropriation of land ownership, considering the cultural heritage area, his party said it was still focused on handling the destruction of the cultural heritage wall.

"Regarding our ownership has not yet explored whether there are fraud or not. We are here more deeply related to destruction. But later when there is an element it also meets maybe we can related to the transfer of ownership without the permit," he said.

Sukoharjo Police Chief AKBP Wahyu Nugroho said the two people who were questioned were landowners with the initials MKB (45). He was a resident of Pucangan Kartasura, Sukoharjo. And one more is the operator of the excavator heavy equipment used to dismantle the Karaton Heriton.

The determination of the suspect will be determined by PPNS BPCB, said Wahyu, while Sukoharjo Regional Police will support through coordination and supervision related to the case of the destruction of the Kartasura Palace wall.

Based on the interim examination, Sukoharjo Police Chief AKBP Wahyu Nugroho explained in March 2022 then the MKB bought 682 square meters of land for Rp850 million from a Lampung resident. After that, the landowner on April 18 began to clean up the land.

Demolition of the western wall of the Kalon Kartasura was carried out, on Thursday (21/4), at around 3:30 a.m. WIB, with a length of 6.4 meters wide 2 meters and a height of 3.25 meters using the excavator heavy equipment.

The destruction of the palace wall was discovered by the Head of Culture of the Sukoharjo Regency Government, and then coordinated with the police to check into the scene of the case.

The Head of Central Java BPCB Sukronedi confirmed the status of the former Kartasura Palace wall in Sukoharjo Regency which was damaged has been included in the category of cultural heritage (CB) that must be protected.

"The Kartasura Keraton Heriton Wall is in the process of registration of the object allegedly a cultural heritage (ODCG), but has been included in the category of cultural heritage that must be protected," Sukronedi said when checking the location of the Kalaton Kartasura wall, Sukoharjo, Saturday.

The Kartasura Kasunanan Palace Wall, he said, could already be designated as a cultural heritage and protected by Law Number 11 of 2010. Therefore, he stressed that there was a threat of sanctions if there was destruction to the cultural heritage.

He explained that the central government had delegated the management and maintenance of the Kartasura Palace ruins to the Sukoharjo Regency Government as of January 1, 2020.

"The wall entered the district level because it was only this heritage. There were no other relics such as the solo palace," he said.

Touching on the restoration, he said, the shape of the wall will be returned as before the demolition occurs, but still has to pass several studies related to the restoration budget.• (BI)