During the last quarter of the 16th century, the ruler of the Islamic Kingdom of Pajang, about 100 kilometers to the east of this site, awarded the forest to Ki Ageng Pemanahan, one of his courtiers who successfully put down a rebellion.

[1] After Pemanahan died in 1575, Danang Sutawijaya announced himself, king of Mataram, with the title of Panembahan Senapati Ingalaga, "the Lord to Whom Obeisance is Paid, Commander in the Battlefield".

[2] He expanded his territory by conquering some major parts of Java, including Pajang, the capital of his adoptive father.

The western wall was built along the Gajah Wong River, channeled to water the moats on three other sides of the fort.

[3] To successfully govern a territory, Senapati also established an alliance with supernatural power by performing austere meditation.

while performing a meditation on a stone in the middle of a river in between Mount Merapi and the Indian Ocean, a gigantic mythical fish named Tunggulwulung offered Senapati a ride to venture south of the ocean where the most powerful spirit of Java governed the netherworld, named Kangjeng Ratu Kidul.

Overwhelmed by the aura of Senapati, the queen offered support for his great efforts to conquer the people of Java.

In the contemporary palace of Yogyakarta, this name refers to a gigantic fully enclosed wooden building serving as the inner sanctum of this kingly abode where most magically charged heirlooms and weapons are stored.

After the rebellion had been put down, his successor Mangkurat II, decided to establish a new capital named Kartasura 50 km to the east.

The rebel leader, Sunan Kuning, occupied the throne of Mataram in Kartasura after Pakubawana II had left the capital in defeat.

[6] Unlike many other parts of Java, some ancestral lands including Kotagede were indivisible because they were regarded as a kind of heirloom rather than measurable territory.

As the political power shifted, Kotagede became principally a pilgrimage town with its royal mausoleum and other sites associated with the initial establishment of the Mataram kingdom.

This reform aims to introduce rationality and Islamic teaching to the society of Kotagede, which is considered to be superstitious.

[10][11] Today, Kotagede is still considered the site of origin with supernatural power being the focus of ancestral blessings and prosperity.

Parts that have survived include the Kotagede ancient great mosque, the royal cemetery (precursor to Imogiri), and some sections of the original city walls.

At present, the stones are protected inside a small building, located in the middle of the road and surrounded by three banyan trees.

On the outside, the Latin words in the circle say: AD AETERNAM MEMORIAM INFELICIS - INFORTUNA CONSORTES DIGNI VALETE QUID STUPEARIS INSANI VIDETE IGNARI ET RIDETE, CONTEMNITE VOS CONTEMTU VERE DIGNI - IGM (In Glorium Maximam).

These balls are believed by the locals to be the playing stones of Raden Rongo, the son of Panembahan Senapati.

Surrounding the porch is a moat to enable one to dip his or her feet before reaching the serambi, symbolically purifying anything that enters the mosque.

[18] The royal cemetery is named Makam Kota Gede (in Indonesian) or formally (Pasareyan) Hasta Kitha Ageng (in Javanese).

The walled cemetery does not act as a physical protection of the graves and their adornments, the enclosures separate the realm of the dead from those of the living.

It is considered an important part of the town that Kotagede was also known as Pasar Gede ("Great Market") or in short, Sargede.

Previously, the placements of many langgar dhuwur formed a series that encircled the Mataram Royal Palace in Kotagede.

Performing arts include karawitan (local gamelan music groups), syalawatan (Islamic music group), mocopat (Javanese poetry reading), kroncong, tingklung wayang puppet, and offering ceremonies on special days (caos) and leading an ascetic religious life (tirakatan).

During that time, the traditional silver, gold and copper industries began to develop, dominated by the use of repoussé (embossing) techniques.

[24] The Dutch colonial government established the Stichting Beverding van het Yogyakarta Kent Ambacht to protect the silverwork of Kotagede.

According to local silversmiths, Sastro Dimulyo with his company "SSO" was the pioneer for introducing filigree technique in Kotagede.

Kotagede's silverware is characterized with its floral motifs, e.g. leaf or lotus flower, based from the Hindu tradition; and their manual labor, kept historically authentic.

Types of silverware produced by Kotagede are filigrees, silver-casting, sculptures (miniatures), and handmade products (necklaces, rings).

Jalan Kemasan, the main street leading into town from the north, is lined with silver workshops selling hand-beaten bowls, boxes, fine filigree and modern jewellery .