ISTANA GEBANG, TOURISM PLACE REVIEW

ISTANA GEBANG

Istana Gebang

The first president of Indonesia, Soekarno, was raised in Blitar, East Java. He lived with his family in a house in Blitar City. Before it was bought by Soekarno’s father, Soekemi Sosrodihardjo, this house was owned by a Dutch, CH. Portier, who worked for the train company. This house was built in the 19th century. Soekarno and his family lived here from 1917-1919 when Soekarno was 16 or 18. This house was owned by Soekarno’s family until 2012, and it was handed over to the Blitar government and became a history museum. 

The house is commonly known as Istana Gebang. “Istana Gebang” is derived from the type of palm tree known as “gebangan” or “gebang palm” that is commonly found in the region around Blitar. Istana Gebang is located at Sultan Agung Street, No. 27-59, Sananwetan, Blitar, East Java. 

In Istana Gebang there are many buildings in there, the main building, includes a living room, five bedrooms, a family room, and Soekarno’s office room. There is a pavilion, a service room which includes the kitchen, bathroom, room for the servant, and dining room. On the left side of the house, there is an art hall (balai kesenian) used for wayang kulit performances, karawitan, etc. Istana Gebang also has a horse stable, granary, and a garage with Soekarno’s car. 

Soekarno's car

All of the buildings in Istana Gebang are well-maintained and organized. The good news is there are also tour guide services so we can explore more about the history of Istana Gebang. Istana Gebang is easy to access. If we don’t have a vehicle, we can use online taxis or bikes, like Grab, Gojek, or Maxim. For visitors who need a hotel, there are also many hotels around there with good prices and good services. You can easily find it on Google, Google Maps, or other apps. 

Soekarno's bedroom

Family room

To make you more interested in Istana Gebang, I’ve documented a little more of Istana Gebang's footage. You can access it by clicking this. Hope you guys can enjoy my review and don’t forget to visit Istana Gebang if you come to Blitar, because you will get much new knowledge about our first president and his life in his house in Blitar.