The
Tomb of the 'Princess from Campa'
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Trowulan
today is a small village on the plains to the south west of
Surabaya, not far from Mojokerto. Archaeological excavations,
supported by classical literature, have revealed that this was
almost certainly the site of the ancient capital of Majapahit,
Java's largest and most famous imperial court.
During the last few years,
teams of archaeologists have been busy uncovering and, where
possible, restoring the remains of this important historical
site. Most of the buildings, which were made from a reddish brick,
have of course long since collapsed, but some of the larger structures
have at least partially survived and are at present undergoing
reconstruction.
Some of Trowulan's more important
remains include the gateway of Bajang Ratu, recently restored;
the bathing place Candi Tikus; Candi Brahu, where it is
said the cremations of several of Majapahit's rulers were carried
out; the Kolam Segaran, a large artificial lake in the
centre of the capital; the tomb of the 'princess from Campa',
Candi Menak Jinggo, Candi Sumur Upas, as well as
the split gateway Wringin Lawang, which is believed to have been
the entrance to the palace of the famous prime minister Gajah
Mada himself. Trowulan also has a large new museum, which has
recently been extended to include the collection of sculpture
and artifacts which used to be housed in the museum of the Archaeological
Service in Mojokerto.
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