Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n island of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
. It is the only coastal city of
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Bante ...
, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with
Central Java
Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta ...
, approximately east of
Jakarta, at . It had a population of 296,389 at the 2010 census and 333,303 at the 2020 census.
The built-up area of Cirebon reaches out from the city and into the surrounding
regency of the same name; the
official metropolitan area encompasses this regency as well as the city, and covers an area of , with a 2010 census population of 2,363,585; the 2020 census total was 2,603,924.
Straddling the border between West and Central Java, Cirebon's history has been influenced by both
Sundanese and
Javanese culture as well as
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
and
Chinese,
and is the seat of
a former Sultanate.
Etymology
Being on the border of Sundanese (i.e., Western Java) and Javanese (i.e., Central Java) cultural regions, many of Cirebon's residents speak a dialect that is a mix of
Sundanese and
Javanese, known as ''Jawareh''. It is thought that the word "Cirebon" derives from the Javanese word, ''caruban'', meaning "mixed": a reference to the city's mix of Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, and Arabic cultural elements. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Sundanese words "ci" (water or river) and "rebon" ("shrimp").
(Indeed, the main product of the city is
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...
including
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
).
History
The sultanate court lies near the modern-day city of Cirebon on West Java's northern coast. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the sultanate thrived and became an important center in the region for trade, commerce, and Islamic study and dissemination in Java. In 1677, the sultanate split into four royal houses, leaving four
kratons (palaces) in Cirebon;
Keraton Kasepuhan,
Kraton Kanoman Kraton Kanoman is a palace in the Indonesian city of Cirebon in West Java.
It was founded by Sultan Anom I in 1677. In the outer area of the palace, the ''siti inggil'', are masonry versions of the classic Javanese '' pendopo'' form, as opposed to ...
,
Keraton Kacirebonan
The Kraton Kacirebonan is the oldest Kraton (sultan's palace) in the Indonesian city of Cirebon.
It has existed since 1807. This colonial building has housed many historical relics such as Keris, Wayang puppets, war equipment, Gamelan instrument ...
, and Keraton Keprabonan. Each has its own lineage and all are the descendants and stewards of the original Cirebon Sultanate.
According to the manuscript ''Purwaka Caruban Nagari'', Cirebon started as a small fishing village in the 15th century named Muara Jati which attracted foreign traders. The port master at that time was Ki Gedeng Alang-Alang, appointed by the king of
Galuh kingdom, located inland in Kawali,
Ciamis. He later moved the port to Lemahwungkuk, to the south. As the new settlement leader, Ki Gedeng Alang-Alang was bestowed with the title "Kuwu Cerbon" (Cerbon village leader).
A 15th-century prince from
Pajajaran
Pakuan Pajajaran (or ᮕᮊᮥᮝᮔ᮪ᮕᮏᮏᮛᮔ᮪/ Dayeuh Pakuan/Pakwan or Pajajaran) was the fortified capital city of Sunda Kingdom. The location is roughly corresponds to modern Bogor city in West Java, Indonesia, approximately around t ...
, Prince Walangsungsang, converted to Islam and was appointed as the ''Adipati'' (Duke) of Cirebon with the title ''Cakrabumi''. He established the new kingdom of Cirebon and declared independence from Sunda and Galuh. The establishment of the Cirebon Sultanate marked the first Islamic rule in western Java, transforming Muara Jati into a busy port. Cirebon was an independent sultanate under the leadership of
Sunan Gunungjati in the early 16th century. After the Sunda Kingdom collapsed, the Sultanates of
Banten
Banten ( id, Banten; Sundanese: , romanized ''Banten'') is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Java ...
and
Mataram fought over control of Cirebon, which declared its allegiance to
Sultan Agung
Sultan Anyakrakusuma is known as Sultan Agung ( jv, ꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦒꦸꦁꦲꦢꦶꦥꦿꦧꦸꦲꦚꦏꦿꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩ, Sultan Agung Adi Prabu Anyakrakusuma) was the third Sultan of Mataram in Central Java ruling from 1613 to 1645. ...
of Mataram, whose grandson
Amangkurat II ceded the city to the Dutch in 1677.
In 1705, a treaty saw the Cirebon area west of Cisanggarung River become a Dutch protectorate jointly administered by three sultans whose courts rivalled those of Central Java.
The Dutch authorities later established the Cirebon Residency (''Residentie Tjirebon'') which was composed of present-day Cirebon, Indramayu, and Kuningan.

During the time of the Dutch "
Culture System" a flourishing trade in colonial cash crops attracted many Chinese entrepreneurs and that influence is still evident in the
batik
Batik is an National costume of Indonesia, Indonesian technique of Resist dyeing, wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of ...
for which Cirebon is famous.
Cirebon suffered a
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accom ...
in 1844, apparently triggered by a combination of
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
and the shift from
subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no s ...
to cash crops, particularly
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', ...
and
sugarcane, enforced by
Dutch's Cultivation system.
Geography
Climate
Cirebon has a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
(Am) with moderate to little rainfall from June to October and heavy to very heavy rainfall from November to May.
Administrative divisions
Cirebon is divided into five administrative
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
(kecamatan), listed below with their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census:
The five districts are sub-divided into twenty-two urban villages (''kelurahan'') which are listed below with their populations at the 2010 census and according to the mid-2018 official estimates:
Demographics
The city's
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using ...
was 298,224 at the Indonesia census of 2010.
As with other coastal cities in Indonesia, a large population of
ethnic Chinese has flocked into the city as a result of long-term
Chinese immigration since the 17th century. Significant suburbs lie within densely populated
Cirebon Regency
Cirebon Regency is a regency ''(kabupaten)'' of West Java, Indonesia. Sumber is its capital. It covers 1,070.29 km2 and had a population of 2,068,116 at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 2,270,621 at the 2020 census; the ...
, and the official metropolitan area encompasses this entire regency as well as the city.
Although surrounded by Sundanese-speaking areas in West Java, linguists have stated that Cirebon (and the historically related region of
Serang
Serang ( id, Kota Serang, , Sundanese: ) is a city and the capital of Banten province and was formerly also the administrative center of Serang Regency in Indonesia (the Regency's capital is now at Baros). The city is located towards the nor ...
city in
Banten Province) are inside its own Cirebonese language area. In addition, this is supported by a large portion of the Cirebon people referring to themselves as "Wong Cirebon" ("Cirebonese people"), and to their language as "Basa Cirebon" ("Cirebonese"). Cirebonese language is related to Javanese and Banyumasan with dialects such as the ''Jawareh'' (half-Javanese half Sundanese), ''Plered'', and ''Dermayon''. There are also native Sundanese speakers in the city, who speak a local dialect known as ''Bahasa Sunda Cirebon'' (Cirebonese Sundanese language) which contains unique words not found in its Priangan counterpart.
Campaign for Cirebon Province
In the modern era, some of the local political elite in Cirebon and surrounding regencies have campaigned for Cirebon city, together with the regencies of
Cirebon
Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central Ja ...
,
Indramayu
Indramayu ( jv, ꦆꦤ꧀ꦢꦿꦩꦪꦸ; zh, 南麻由), named after the God Indra, is a town and district which serves as the capital of Indramayu Regency in the West Java province of Indonesia, and is located in the northern coastal area of We ...
,
Kuningan
Kuningan ( su, ᮊᮥᮔᮤᮍᮔ᮪) is a town and district located in eastern West Java, Indonesia, between Cirebon and Tasikmalaya, about 200 km east of Jakarta. It is the administrative center of Kuningan Regency. The district is located ...
and
Majalengka
Majalengka ( su, ᮙᮏᮜᮦᮀᮊ) is a town and district in West Java, Indonesia. The district is the regency seat of Majalengka Regency. At the 2010 Census, the district had a population of 68,871, of which the town (comprising the communities ...
to be established as a new province - in the same way as
Banten Province was formed by splitting it away from
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Bante ...
. To be a new province it is required that it should be proposed by at least five regencies. Leaders from four of these administrations have given their consent, but
Majalengka Regency
Majalengka Regency is the landlocked regencies ''(kabupaten)'' in West Java, Indonesia. It covers an area of 1,204.24 sq. km, and had a population of 1,166,473 at the 2010 Census and 1,305,476 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at m ...
has turned down the idea and indicated that it would prefer to stay part of West Java. However, the lack of support from the Majalengka area does not preclude Cirebon city and the other three regencies from continuing to promote the idea.
The potential size and population of this possible Province would be as follows:
Economy
Cirebon City's economy is influenced by its strategic geographical location and by the characteristics of natural resources. Thus, the structure of its economy is dominated by manufacturing, trade, hotels and restaurants, transport and communications, and service sectors.
Tomé Pires
Tomé Pires (1465?–1524 or 1540)Madureira, 150–151. was a Portuguese apothecary from Lisbon who spent 1512 to 1515 in Malacca immediately after the Portuguese conquest, at a time when Europeans were only first arriving in Southeast A ...
in the
Suma Oriental
Suma may refer to:
Places
* Suma, Azerbaijan, a village
* Suma, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran
* Sowmaeh, Ardabil, also known as Şūmā, a village in Iran
* Suma-ku, Kobe, one of nine wards of Kobe City in Japan
** Suma Station, a railw ...
around the year 1513 mentioned Cirebon was one of the trade centers on the island of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
. After Cirebon was taken over by the
Dutch East Indies government in 1859, it was designated as a transit port for import-export goods and as a communications route to the political control center for the region in the interior of Java.
Until 2001, the economic contribution to the City of Cirebon was characterized by processing industry (41.32%),
followed by trade, hotels and restaurants (29.8%), transport and communications sector (13.56%), and services sector (6.06%). Other sectors (9.26%) included mining, agriculture, construction, electricity, and gas. Aside from fishery, its harbor, Tanjung Emas, on the
Java Sea has been a major hub for
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including Beam (structure), beams and plank (wood), planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as fini ...
from
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java Isl ...
.
Culture
Cirebon itself is known as ''Grage'' in the Cirebon dialect of Javanese language, which came from the words "Negara Gede", meaning "Great Kingdom." As a port city, Cirebon attracts visitors and settlers from elsewhere in Indonesia and from other nations as well. Cirebon culture was described as Java ''Pasisiran'' (coastal) culture, similar to the cultures of Banten, Pekalongan, and Semarang, with notable mixtures of Sundanese, Chinese, Arabic-Islamic, and European influences.
Arts and crafts
Batik
Batik is an National costume of Indonesia, Indonesian technique of Resist dyeing, wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of ...
textiles from Cirebon, especially Cirebon batik with vivid colors with motifs and patterns, that demonstrate Chinese and local influences, are well known. Chinese influences can be seen in Cirebon's culture, most notably the Cirebon batik ''Megamendung'' pattern that resembles Chinese cloud imagery. The
Trusmi area is the production center of Cirebon batik. Cirebon Glass Painting is another aspect of Cirebon arts and crafts. The imagery in glass painting is usually derived from
wayang
, also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...
theme to
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy.Chapman, Caroline (2012). ...
.
Performing arts

The
Tari Topeng Cirebon, or Cirebon mask dance, is a dance style peculiar to the city.
Topeng
''Topeng'' (from ban, ᬢᭀᬧᬾᬂ, su, ᮒᮧᮕᮨᮔᮌ, and jv, ꦠꦺꦴꦥꦺꦁ, topeng, mask) is a dramatic form of Indonesian dance in which one or more mask-wearing, ornately costumed performers interpret traditional narratives ...
Cirebon mask dance, inspired by Javanese
Panji cycles is one of notable Cirebon traditional dance and quite famous within
Indonesian dance
Dance in Indonesia ( id, Tarian Indonesia) reflects the country's diversity of ethnicities and cultures. There are more than 1,300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. Austronesian roots and Melanesian tribal forms are visible, and influences ranging ...
s.
Cirebon culture is also influenced by Islamic Middle Eastern culture, such as the ''Burokan'' tradition where people exhibit the image of
buraq
The Buraq ( ar, الْبُرَاق "the lightning") is a heavenly equine or chimeral beast in Islamic tradition that notably served as the mount of the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his Isra and Mi'raj journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and up ...
— traditionally made from the bamboo frame and paper skin, or other materials — in processions around the village accompanied with music. The traditions of the bamboo statues borne in these processions are similar to Sundanese ''Sisingaan'', Betawi ''
Ondel-ondel'', or Balinese ''
Ogoh-ogoh'' processions, yet differ in their Islamic theme. ''Burokan'' are usually held during festive occasions such as circumcision or marriage, and are accompanied by popular Cirebon folk songs, such as ''tarling.''
Tarling is a musical tradition reminiscent of Bandung's ''kecapi suling'' music with except that it features guitar, ''
suling
The suling or seruling ( Sundanese: ) is a musical instrument of the Sundanese people in western Java, Indonesia. It is used in the Degung ensemble. Bamboo ring flute can also be found in Southeast Asian, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, M ...
'' (bamboo flute) and voice.
The name derived from ''gitar'' (guitar), and ''suling'' (flute).
Sports
Cirebon is the home town of the PSGJ Cirebon football team, the club plays in the
Liga Nusantara.
Another team, Cirebon Football Club, team also plays in the
Liga Nusantara is based in the Bima stadium Cirebon. Other popular sports in Cirebon include
Futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is t ...
.
Court culture
The remnants of Cirebon sultanate;
Kasepuhan,
Kanoman, Kaprabonan, and
Kacirebonan kratons are now run as cultural institutions to preserve Cirebon culture. Each still holds their traditional ceremonies and have become the patrons of Cirebon arts. Some of the royal symbols of the Cirebon Sultanate describe their legacy and influences. The banner of Cirebon Sultanate is called "Macan Ali" (Ali's panther) with Arabic calligraphy arranged to resemble a
panther or
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...
. These indicate both Islamic influence and that of the Hindu Pajajaran Sundanese King Siliwangi's tiger banner. The royal lineage of Cirebon is still well respected and is held in high prestige among the people of Cirebon, although it does not hold real political power anymore.
The royal carriage of Kasepuhan's Singa Barong and Kanoman's Paksi Naga Liman carriage resembles the
chimera of three animals; eagle, elephant, and dragon. These symbolize Indian Hinduism, Arabic Islam, and Chinese influences. The images of Macan Ali, Singa Barong, and Paksi Naga Liman are also often featured as patterns in Cirebon batik.
Cuisine
As a coastal city, Cirebon's main industry is fishery. Its products include ''
terasi
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are eithe ...
'' (shrimp paste), ''
petis'', ''krupuk udang'' (
shrimp crackers) and various
salted fish
Salted fish, such as kippered herring or dried and salted cod, is fish cured with dry salt and thus preserved for later eating. Drying or salting, either with dry salt or with brine, was the only widely available method of preserving fish u ...
. Cirebon is famous for its high quality salted fish, such as ''jambal roti'', ''juhi'' (salted cuttlefish), ''rebon'', and ''ebi'' (dried small shrimp). These products are often sought by visitors, especially Indonesian domestic tourists and visitors from other cities, as ''oleh-oleh'' (food souvenirs).
Cirebon is also known for its local cuisines and delicacies, such as ''
empal gentong'' (offal curry ), ''
mie koclok'' (chicken noodle soup with coconut milk), ''
nasi lengko'' (rice with bean sprouts, fried
tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super fi ...
, and fried
tempeh
Tempeh or tempe (; jv, ꦠꦺꦩ꧀ꦥꦺ, témpé, ) is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. A fungus, '' Rhizop ...
, topped with
peanut sauce
Peanut sauce, satay sauce (saté sauce), ''bumbu kacang'', ''sambal kacang'', or ''pecel '' is an Indonesian sauce made from ground roasted or fried peanuts, widely used in Indonesian cuisine and many other dishes throughout the world.
Peanut s ...
and
soy sauce), ''
nasi jamblang'' (rice of various side dishes), ''
tahu gejrot
Tahu Gejrot is an Indonesian fried tofu in sweet spicy sauce from Cirebon, a port city in West Java, Indonesia. ''Tahu gejrot'' consists of ''tahu pong'', a type of hollow '' tahu goreng'' (fried tofu) cut into small pieces. It is served with a t ...
'' (fried tofu with ground garlic, chili, and shallot, topped with thin and sweet soy sauce), ''tahu petis'' (dry fried tofu served with
petis dip sauce), ''tahu tek-tek'' (fried tofu topped with peanut sauce and mixed with vegetables), ''ayam panggang'' (barbecued chicken), and ''
docang'' (
lontong
Lontong is an Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a banana leaf and boiled, then cut into small cakes as ...
with sour vegetable soup).
Tourism

As one tourist destination in
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Bante ...
, Cirebon City offers many charms ranging from a historical tour of the royal glory of
Islam, the story of the trustees, Complex
Sunan Gunung Jati
Sunan Gunungjati (1448–1568) was one of the Wali Songo, or nine saints of Islam revered in Indonesia. He founded the Sultanate of Banten, as well as the Sultanate of Cirebon on the north coast of Java.
Gunungjati was born Syarif Hidayatulla ...
in Mount Sembung about to the west of the city center,
Great Mosque of Cirebon
The Great Mosque of Cirebon ( id, Masjid Agung Cirebon), officially known as ''Masjid Agung Sang Cipta Rasa'', is one of the oldest mosques in Indonesia. The mosque is located in the west side of the field opposite the Kraton Kasepuhan, Cirebon, ...
,
At-Taqwa Mosque
The At-Taqwa Mosque (; id, Masjid At-Taqwa) is a mosque in Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is the seventh mosque built in Taiwan.
History
The mosque development was started by an Indonesian-Taiwanese couple who own an Indonesian sho ...
,
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called church (building), churches), Hindui ...
ancient buildings and relics of
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
Cirebon is a
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
at the same time in the city, namely
Keraton Kasepuhan and
Kanoman. Everything has architecture a combination of elements culture Islam,
China, and
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Characteristics of the palace buildings are always facing
north
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''no ...
and there is a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a Place of worship, place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers (sujud) ...
nearby. Each palace has
square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
as a gathering place,
market and sculpture tiger in park or page forward as a symbol of
King Siliwangi
King Siliwangi was the ruler of the Kingdom of Pajajaran in West Java from 1482 to 1521. He was a member of the Sunda royal family and was the son of King Jayabaya and Queen Tribuana Tungga Dewi. Siliwangi was a skilled military leader and under ...
, the central character formation
Sultanate of Cirebon
The Sultanate of Cirebon ( id, Kesultanan Cirebon, Pegon: كسلطانن چيربون, su, Kasultanan Cirebon) was an Islamic sultanate in West Java founded in the 15th century. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati, as ma ...
. Another feature is the
plate porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
original China are so trimmer wall. Some dishes supposedly derived from
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
when Cirebon so port trade center island
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
.
Cirebon city park has some of them Waterpark Sunyaragi and Park of Ade Irma Suryani. Water Parks Sunyaragi has technology flow water advanced in his time, the water flows between the terraces where the princess king preening, page grass green where the knight practice, plus tower and room privileged that door was made of curtain water.
Orientation and places

The main boulevard is Jalan Siliwangi. It runs from the train station to the canal via the ''Pasar Pagi'' ("Morning Market"). Then the street becomes Jalan Karanggetas along which are most of Cirebon's banks, restaurants, and hotels. There are a number of historic buildings and other key sites in Cirebon, some of them in an advanced state of decay. These include the buildings of the several kratons, the Sang Cipta Rasa Grand Mosque, and the Gua Sunyaragi Park.
Wali Songo
The Wali Songo (also transcribed as Wali Sanga) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word ''wali'' is Arabic for "trusted one" ("gua ...
, especially
Sunan Gunung Jati
Sunan Gunungjati (1448–1568) was one of the Wali Songo, or nine saints of Islam revered in Indonesia. He founded the Sultanate of Banten, as well as the Sultanate of Cirebon on the north coast of Java.
Gunungjati was born Syarif Hidayatulla ...
, is known to have influenced the city's history. Sunan Gunung Jati's grave is located several kilometers outside the city in the Gunung Jati district. There are two temples and a cave system built by two Chinese architects around the 1880s, decorated by Chinese and Western porcelain. The village of Trusmi, about five kilometers outside of Cirebon, has been noted for
batik
Batik is an National costume of Indonesia, Indonesian technique of Resist dyeing, wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of ...
production. Plangon is a habitat of monkeys.
Mt Ceremai, the highest peak in West Java, is a large volcano situated about to the south of Cirebon. Parks and other tourist spots on the slopes of Mt Ceremai are popular places for groups from Cirebon to visit during weekends to escape from the hotter climate on the coast. The village of Linggajati, near the town of Cilimus, (where the
Linggadjati Agreement
The Linggardjati Agreement (''Linggarjati'' in modern Indonesian spelling) was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia in the village of Linggarjati, Kunin ...
was signed) is one such place. Public transportation brings tourists and visitors here.
Cityscape
Transportation
Airport
Cirebon residents have been traditionally using
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for flights and now being replaced by
Kertajati International Airport
Kertajati International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Kertajati, Sundanese: ) is an airport in West Java, Indonesia that serves as a second international airport for the Greater Bandung and Cirebon metropolitan areas,as well as parts o ...
serving the Greater Cirebon area and surrounding area.
Cakrabhuwana Airport
Penggung Airport or Cakrabuwana Airport (Indonesian: ''Bandar Udara Penggung'') is a small airport located on Penggung, Cirebon City, West Java, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and ...
in Penggung, Harjamukti subdistrict also serves the
TNI-AU
The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed For ...
. The city lies on
Jalur Pantura (Pantai Utara Jawa), a major road on the northern coast of Java that stretches from
Anyer
Anyer, also known as Anjer or Angier, is a coastal town in Banten, formerly West Java, Indonesia, west of Jakarta and south of Merak. A significant coastal town late 18th-century, Anyer faces the Sunda Strait.
History
The town was a conside ...
, passes through
Jakarta, and ends at
Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of East Java and the second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern border of Java island, on the Mad ...
.
Port of Cirebon

The Port of Cirebon was established by the
Dutch in 1865, principally as an export point for spices, sugar cane, and raw materials from West Java. Warehouses and open storage areas were developed by 1890, and a
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco plc (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, England. As of 2019, it is the larg ...
cigarette factory was built in the early 20th century.
Port activity is dominated by bulk imports of coal, liquid asphalt and vegetable oils for the
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Bante ...
hinterland. Until 2002, the port also catered for minor
container
A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping.
Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
trade and
cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours know ...
ping. In 2006 the port handled 3.27 million
metric tons
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton (United States c ...
(MT) of trade, more than 90 percent as imports from other Indonesian ports.
Public service
Nearly 93% of the population has been underserved by service water from PDAM Cirebon, the majority of customers in the city's water supply to households (90.37% or as many as 59,006) of the total number of existing connections (65,287).
Health
Since the
Dutch East Indies government, Cirebon City has had a hospital named Orange, which unveiled its use on August 31, 1921, and commenced operations from September 1, 1921.
In 2009 in the city of Cirebon has been available about 6 general
hospitals
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergenc ...
, four maternity hospitals, 21 health centers, 15 health centers Maid, 20 Mobile Health Center, and 81 Pharmacies and Drug Stores 31. With the number of medical personnel such as specialist doctors about 94 people, and 116 general practitioners, 37 dentists, 847 nurses, and 278 midwives.
Notable people
Twin towns – sister cities
Cirebon has
sister relationships with a number of towns worldwide:
*
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
, United States
*
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
, South Korea
*
Suwon
Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...
, South Korea
*
Jeonju
Jeonju () is the 16th largest city in South Korea and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many residents who work in Jeonj ...
, South Korea
*
Hwaseong, South Korea
*
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea ...
, South Korea
*
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia
*
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, Australia
*
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia
*
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
, Republic Of Ireland
*
Gold Coast, Australia
Gallery
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Prent voorstellende Cheribon in de zeventiende eeuw gezien vanaf de rede TMnr 60034631.jpg, The port of Cirebon in the 17th century
File:Taqwa.1.jpg, At-Taqwa Mosque
The At-Taqwa Mosque (; id, Masjid At-Taqwa) is a mosque in Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is the seventh mosque built in Taiwan.
History
The mosque development was started by an Indonesian-Taiwanese couple who own an Indonesian sho ...
File:Cirebon City Hall.JPG, The main building of the Cirebon City Hall
File:DPRD_Kota_Cirebon-Jie.jpg, The building of Cirebon City Legislatures (''DPRD'')
File:Building in Keraton Kasepuhan.jpg, Building inside Keraton Kasepuhan complex
File:Symbol Keraton Kasepuhan.jpg, Sculpture in Keraton Kasepuhan
File:Sunyaragi2.jpg, Sunyaragi meditation caves
File:Klenteng_Kwan_Im,_Cirebon_2_-_panoramio.jpg, Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. Sh ...
Temple in Cirebon
File:Gedung BAT -Jie73.jpg, Former building of the British-American-Tobacco
See also
*
List of cities in Indonesia
This is a list of the most populous cities in Indonesia. It excludes urban-characterized settlements such as regency seats, which does not have city status. Indonesia has 93 cities classified as ''kota'' (city) and one provincial-level capital ...
Footnotes
Further reading
* Graaf, H. J. de (Hermanus Johannes de Graaf), 1899-(?), "Chinese Muslims in Java in the 15th and 16th centuries: the Malay Annals of
Semarang
Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...
and Cerbon / translated and provided with comments by H. J. de Graaf and
Theodoor Gautier Thomas Pigeaud; edited by M.C. Ricklefs. Publisher:
elbourne, Monash University, 1984. Description: xiii, 221 p. , folded map ; 21 cm. , Series: Monash papers on Southeast Asia; no. 12
*
External links
Official siteMedia Online
{{Authority control
Populated places in West Java
Port cities and towns in Indonesia