In a commanding hilltop location 34km southeast of Solo, the mausoleum of former president Suharto is a curious sight. Suharto planned this monument to himself well in advance of his death, securing the land and appointing an architect back in 1998. The resulting building is curiously low-key and lacking the gaudy excesses favoured by many ex-dictators – an unadorned mosque-like structure built on traditional Javanese pendopo lines.
Tombs of various less-favoured relatives are dotted around the edges of the building, while the inner sanctum, separated by carved wooden screens, contains five marble sarcophagi: Suharto himself, his mother, father, wife and one sister. Oddly enough, the whole place is eerily peaceful, and few visitors pay their respects these days – in stark contrast to the scenes in 2008 when tens of thousands lined the route of his funeral cortège from Solo airport. The Suharto cult of personality certainly has waned over the years.
While you're here you can stroll up to the burial place of Solo’s royal Mangkunegara family, whose monuments pale by comparison. It's just 300m away on a neighbouring forested hilltop.
There's a cafe and a souvenir stall where you can purchase kitsch keyrings and the like. There is no public transport to the monument. Tour guides in Solo will include Giribangun on trips to Candi Sukuh and Candi Cetho. By road, head east of Solo to Karangpandan, and it's 7km south of the highway near the village of Mangadeg.
