Borobudur is a huge Buddhist monument from 1200 years ago outside of Yogyakarta.

The approach to the monument is through a park full of sweet-smelling orange and jasmine trees.

Here are two views from the upper level of Borobudur.

This is a view out towards the nearby mountains to the south. The profile of the mountain range is supposed to be the designer of the monument, sleeping. You can see many stupas on lower levels.

This is a view towards the top of the monument. Each stupa contains a Buddha statue, except for the large central one, which is empty.

The structure is massive, and covers an entire volcanic hill. It was built by the Sailendra kings of the area about 800 AD. Later, the people of Java turned back to Hinduism, and then again embraced Islam a few centuries later. Today most of the local residents are Muslims.

The monument fell from use and became overgrown by vines over the years, and was forgotten. It was rediscovered in the early 1800s, and was further restored about 15 years ago. An impressive architectural achievement.

Go to the Kraton.
Go to the Water Palace.

Try these links to find out more about Borobudur:

Borobudur, the Monumental Stupa at the Berger Foundation in Switzerland
Decoding Borobudur
Borobudur Home Page at Australian National University
Liono Setiowijoso's Borobudur Page
Borobudur at University of Laval in Québéc (in English)
The Heart of Javanese Culture at Joglosemar