Prambanan
Indonesia's largest Hindu temple compound, dominated by soaring towers dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma.
Photo: Christopher Michel · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Country
- Indonesia
- Region
- Special Region of Yogyakarta
- Civilisation
- Mataram Kingdom
- Period
- 9th century CE
- UNESCO
- World Heritage ↗
Through time
The story
Prambanan is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in southern Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu), and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.
The temple compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat. It is characterized by its tall pointed architecture, typical of Hindu architecture, and by the towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a large complex of individual temples. The compounds originally consisted of 240 temple structures, which represented the grandeur of ancient Java's Hindu art and architecture, and it is also considered a masterpiece of the classical period in Indonesia.
Adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What you will see
- Shiva Temple
- Ramayana reliefs
- Brahma Temple
Before you go
- Check opening hours and ticket rules shortly before your visit — they change seasonally.
- Plan for the heat. Most ancient sites have little shade; go early or late.
- Respect the barriers. Fragile surfaces are protected for the next visitors.
Discoveries from Prambanan
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