Tamansari, which means "perfumed garden," is home to some 2,700 residents, a community that distinguishes itself through its craft traditions in batik and traditional painting. The "perfumed garden" is experiencing a revival, becoming a venue for the performing arts, tourism, crafts, and festivals, all of which have improved appreciation for the site.Tamansari was built in 1758 as a pleasure palace complex for Sultan Hamengku Buwono I of the Kingdom of Yogyakarta. The 59-building compound included a mosque, meditation chambers, swimming pools, and a series of 18 water gardens and pavilions surrounded by ornamental lakes. The palace complex fell out of use following an earthquake in 1867, which destroyed several buildings and drained the famous water features. Over time, squatters began to inhabit the site, living among the deserted pavilions and building homes in the former lakebeds.

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