The Kraton is the sultan's palace that remains Yogyakarta's center, the walled compound where the sultan whose ancestors founded the city still performs ceremonial duties. The kraton that is part museum, part functioning palace, part symbol of Javanese culture - the kraton is what Yogyakarta organizes around.

The kraton represents the traditional power that modern Indonesia has accommodated, the sultanate that the republic made special region. The kraton is Java's cultural heart; the heart still beats.

Borobudur is the Buddhist monument that rises an hour from Yogyakarta, the 9th-century temple that is the world's largest Buddhist structure. The terraces that pilgrims climb through stone reliefs that teach Buddhist philosophy, the stupas that sunrise illuminates - Borobudur is Indonesia's most famous monument.

Borobudur is what makes Yogyakarta gateway, the excursion that every visitor makes. Borobudur is Buddhism's architectural achievement; the achievement draws millions.

Prambanan is the Hindu temple complex that rivals Borobudur, the 9th-century towers that Hindu Javanese kings built before Islam arrived. The temples whose stonework tells Hindu epics, whose restoration continues after earthquake damage - Prambanan is evidence that Java was Hindu before it was Muslim.

Prambanan provides the contrast that Borobudur requires, the Hindu to balance Buddhist, the parallel developments that Java's history includes. Prambanan is Borobudur's partner; the partnership enriches both.

Yogyakarta's arts are what make it cultural capital, the batik that workshops produce, the gamelan that performances feature, the wayang shadow puppets that all-night shows include. The arts that are tradition maintained rather than heritage performed, the practice that continues because culture requires it.

The arts are what distinguish Yogyakarta from Indonesian cities that modernization has standardized. The arts are identity; the identity is Javanese.

Malioboro Street is Yogyakarta's main commercial artery, the street where shops and markets concentrate and where the city's commercial life flows. The street that connects kraton to the north, that tourists walk and vendors fill - Malioboro is Yogyakarta's public face.

Malioboro is where Yogyakarta meets its visitors commercially, the shopping that tourism expects. Malioboro is busy and commercial and essential to Yogyakarta's economy.