Mount Merapi

Mount Merapi - Tha Java Island is one of the Indonesia's Island which has many active volcanos. All of the Provinces here have active volcanoes, such as Mount Kelud, Mount Bromo at the East Java. In the West Java there is Mount Papandayan and the Central Java has the most famous mountain, Mount Merapi.

Now we will review about Mount Merapi which has the highest volcanic activity in Indonesia even in the World. The existence of this Mountain is very useful for javanese people, especially for people who live around it. This mountain can be very dangerous and could erupt any time. Despite this mountain is very dangerous, the people around it are still living there, because the volcanic material that exiled from the mountain is very useful for their agriculture. This volcanic mineral that spreaded around the Mountain make the surrounding land be the fertilest location in the world. This Mountain shaped like a cone with 2.911 meter high above the sea level. Merapi has an important role in the historical existence of the ancient Kingdom in the Java Island.

The dreadfulness of the Merapi erruption can cover all of face of Borobudur Temple. The Merapi erruption that take many victims in 20 century is happened on the 1930 which killed about 1300 people. For the local people, Mount Merapi is a creature that should be respected. So, the people around the mount always held a traditional ceremony or commemoration to honour the mountain. The ceremony held to keep a natural balance for their live.

While Merapi on calm condition, it is a very beautiful place to visit. Many places offered by Government of Sleman Regency can be enjoyed when visitting Mount Merapi. The most recent atraction you can enjoy is Merapi lava sights. So, we can enjoy the trace of volcanic hot-cloud attack that destroyed the distric around Merapi. There are also cold lava Merapi eruption that reach over 20 m heights.

Mount Merapi located at Central Java about 25 km from Yogyakarta central city. Eventhough Mount Merapi is the most active volcano in the world, but it is the youngest mountain in a series of volcanoes which leads to the south from Mount Ungaran.

Besides lava sights at Merapi, we can also visit Merapi Volcano Museum, located at Merapi southern slope, Harjobinangun village, Pakem, Sleman Jogja, and about 5 km from Kaliurang tourism. This museum contain tools and media for learning and developing science of volcanic disaster, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Museum Gunung Api Merapi (MGM) inaugurated in October 1, 2009 by The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro. It was built on the 3.5 acres land with the main building of the museum is about 4,470 square feet. This building is one of Yogyakarta geo-tourism asset that are very useful for its people.