If you visit Yogyakarta, and take the time to visit the city center, you will find the biggest market in Yogyakarta. The market has the name Beringharjo Market Yogyakarta , which is one of the traditional Yogyakarta markets that stands in the center of Yogyakarta. This market is also the biggest market in the city.
Even though department stores have sprung up in Yogyakarta, the people of Yogyakarta still take into account the existence of traditional markets. The people of Yogyakarta and its surroundings prefer to shop at traditional markets because the prices are cheaper and negotiable. If you can afford to bargain, you will get a very cheap price.
Therefore, if you want to find a unique souvenir as a memento that you have visited Yogyakarta, you should look for it in this market. Apart from being cheap, you will find unique items here.
Entering the Beringharjo Market you will see the front building of the market which looks magnificent with a mixture of Javanese and Dutch architecture, namely the two main tower buildings in the middle of which there is a sign that says Pasar Beringharjo in Latin script and Javanese script.
The front building of the Beringharjo market was painted green and yellow, to match the Sultan Palace building. This building also functions as the center of the Beringharjo Market management office. So if you need information, you can ask the manager in this main building.
History of Beringharjo
Beringharjo Market which is a historical market has long been established in Yogyakrta. The place where Pasar Beringharjo was built was originally a banyan forest. After the establishment of the Kraton Yogyakarta in 1758, this place was used as a place for economic transactions by residents of Yogyakarta and its surroundings.
On March 24, 1925, the Yogyakarta Palace commissioned Nederlansch Indisch Beton Maatschappij (Dutch Indies Concrete Company) to build a market in the banyan forest. By the end of August 1925, 11 stalls had been completed. After Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono VIII was appointed king on March 24, 1925, the market was named Beringharjo.
Sultan Hamngku Buwono VIII ordered all agencies under the auspices of the Yogyakarta Sultanate to use Javanese. The name Beringharjo is adopted from the location of the market which is a former banyan forest, and the Javanese culture of the banyan tree is a symbol of greatness and protection for many people.
The development of Beringharjo Market is part of the urban planning design of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. This urban planning pattern includes four things, namely the palace as the center of government, the square as a public space, the mosque as a place of worship, and the market as the center of community economic transactions.
Items that you can find at Beringharjo Market
The commodities that are traded in this market are very diverse, ranging from clothing to modern products and traditional batik fabrics. In addition, a variety of traditional street food is available in this traditional market. So if you visit Yogyakarta, don’t stop by this traditional market.
1. Complete Batik Collection
You can find batik cloth as souvenirs at low prices and complete collections at Beringharjo Market. Beringharjo Market has various types of batik, both batik in the form of sheets of cloth and clothes. You can also find various types of batik fabrics such as cotton batik and silk batik fabrics.
The price offered is very affordable when compared to buying batik at a batik shop, starting from tens of thousands to the expensive ones, which are hundreds of thousands of rupiah. The western part of this market besides selling a variety of batik clothes, also sells traditional Javanese clothes such as Beskap, Blangkon, Surjan, and Selop. In addition, there are also those who sell clothes and bags and shoes today.
2. Various Antiques
An antiques center is on the third floor of the eastern market. In that place, you can find old typewriters, tens of years old cassette tapes, old children’s toys and so on. On this third floor you can find some quality second hand goods.
3 Market Food and Snacks
Yogyakarta has a distinctive traditional cuisine. Beringharjo Market sells various kinds of traditional Yogyakarta market snacks which are packaged in a traditional way. Some of these traditional foods may not be familiar to you. However, the food is quite delicious and processed in a traditional way.
Traditional culinary like Brem Bulat Yogyakarta which has a soft texture, Krasikan, which is a kind of dodol whose main ingredients come from rice flour, Javanese sugar, and crushed sesame. Pastels, Risoles, Croquettes, Bakpia typical of Yogyakarta, Hung Kwe and Nagasari which are known for their soft sweet taste can be bought near the main gate which is right on the south side of Malioboro Street. In addition, there are also other culinary delights such as Bakso, Soto, Chicken Noodle, and Satay which are sold in front of the main gate of Beringharjo Market.
Beringharjo Market Location
Beringharjo Market is located at Jalan Margo Mulyo No.16, Ngupasan, Gondomanan District, Yogyakarta. The location of this market is south of Malioboro Street. We recommend that you book a hotel in the eastern area of Malioboro, besides the price is more affordable, the location is close to tourist destinations in Yogyakarta. For simplicity, we recommend that you entrust your tour to Yogyakarta tours. thanks.