The central axis of Yogyakarta was established in the 18th century by Sultan Mangkubumi, and has continued from that time as a centre of government and Javanese cultural traditions. The six kilometre north-south axis is positioned to link Mount Merapi and the Indian Ocean, with the Kraton (palace) at its centre, and key cultural monuments lining the axis to the north and south that are connected through rituals.
It embodies key beliefs about the cosmos in Javanese culture, including the marking of the cycles of life. The property is an exceptional testimony to Javanese civilisation and culture, and exhibits an important interchange between diverse belief systems and values.
The attributes of the property have been identified and include both tangible and intangible aspects. The latter include cultural heritage practices relating to the cycle of life (birth, marriage and death), venerating ancestors, coronations, funerals, Islamic days, the connection of the natural and macrocosmic microcosmic worlds, and day to day offerings.
The landmarks are connected spatially, in their design, through rituals, and by the traditional management system of the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat known as Tata Rakiting Wewangunan. The axis is aligned between Mount Merapi, considered the abode of Guardian Spirits, and the Indian Ocean, regarded as the home of the Queen of the Southern Sea, reflected in the shape and meaning of the northernmost and southernmost monuments that define the axis.
The location of the Kraton and the city were chosen by the Sultan Mangkubumi in 1755 to conform to Javanese cosmological beliefs, where the capital of the Kingdom is considered to be a miniature of the universe following the Hindu-Buddhist concepts of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. These concepts pre-date the property itself, shaped through the history of Java since before the 1st century CE.
The Joint Secretariat for the Management of the Sultanate is chaired by the Sultan of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat who is also the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta and is responsible for the overall strategic management of the property. All key government agencies responsible for the management of the property are included.
