Travel Guide Cirebon

Cirebon was founded in 1522 by the ruler Sunan Gunung Jati of Demak, one of the nine walis who propagated Islam in Java. Situated on the border between West and Central Java, Cirebon has been influenced by Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, Muslim and Dutch influences. During the Hindu period, it was the main port of the kingdom of Galuh, whose capital must have been not far from present-day Ciamis.A port coveted by the powerful sultans of Banten and Mataram, in the 17th century the city pledged allegiance to Sultan Agung of Mataram, who in turn ceded it to the Dutch in 1677. After becoming a Dutch protectorate, it was administered by two sultans, whose palaces can still be seen here. Today, Cirebon is one of the main fishing ports on the north coast, earning it the name "Kota Udang", or shrimp town. It is also famous for its batiks, its tradition of "topeng", or masked dances, and its Javanese puppets, whose rather triangular head shape is not lacking in elegance. Despite this, Cirebon is not very popular with foreign tourists.