28/07/2025
Gunung Padang is an ancient archaeological site located in the village of Karyamukti in West Java, Indonesia. It sits on top of a hill, which is actually an extinct volcano, about 885 meters (2,900 feet) above sea level and around 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Cianjur.
To reach the top of this sacred hill, visitors must climb 370 stone steps made of andesite rock. These steps lead up about 95 meters (312 feet) to the site, which is made up of five stone terraces or platforms, each smaller and higher than the one below. These terraces are shaped either rectangular or trapezoidal and were carefully built by flattening the ground using volcanic stones.
The large stone blocks at the site are hexagonal and volcanic in origin. The Sundanese people, who live in the area, believe Gunung Padang is a sacred place. According to legend, it was built overnight by King Siliwangi as he tried to construct a palace in one night.
Early Discoveries and Research
The first known mention of Gunung Padang came from a Dutch historian, Rogier Verbeek, in 1891. He described it as a place with four stone terraces connected by rough stone steps and decorated with upright stone columns. He believed that each terrace had a mound, possibly a grave, covered and surrounded by stones.
Another archaeologist, Nicolaas Johannes Krom, also mentioned the site in a 1914 report. However, after that, Gunung Padang was mostly forgotten until a group of local farmers rediscovered it in 1979.
This rediscovery brought attention from Indonesian archaeologists, local government officials, and cultural groups. From the 1980s onward, research and preservation efforts were carried out. In 1998, it was declared a heritage site. By 2014, the government officially named it a National Site, covering about 29 hectares (72 acres).
