Kanoman Museum Opens, Menbud Encourages Cirebon To Become A Civilization Center

Menbud Fadli Zon (Doc. Kemenbud)

JAKARTA Minister of Culture Fadli Zon inaugurated the Permanent Exhibition Room of the Cirebon Temple Palace Museum, Monday (17/11). This exhibition room is part of a program to strengthen the national museum ecosystem that targets museums as a center for living and relevant cultural knowledge.

The Kanoman Museum is one of the recipients of the Museum Governance Strengthening program run by the History and Summary Directorate. After the curation and rearrangement process of modern museology-based exhibitions, the exhibition space was officially opened to the public.

Fadli emphasized the importance of this inauguration for the preservation of Cirebon cultural heritage as well as the expansion of public access to the history of the Canoman Palace.

Keroton Kanoman is the center of Cirebon civilization since the Sunan Gunung Jati era. The museum is not only a place to store artifacts, but a space for cultural travel and a center for cross-generational education," said Fadli.

He emphasized the mandate of Article 32 of the 1945 Constitution which refers to culture as the engine of growth. Cirebon is said to have a wealth of tangible and intangible culture that needs to be maintained, developed, and utilized through a strong and professionally managed museum.

"With the museum, we can read the journey of the century through good showing off and storyline," he explained.

Fadli also encourages joint work across stakeholders. He called the museum a cultural entrepreneur which can only develop through partnerships between the central government, local governments, the private sector, and philanthropy. Public-private partnership is important. Many countries have proven it," he said.

The inauguration was marked by cutting the ribbon and signing the inscription, as well as handing over the museum registration certificate to the Canoman Palace.

Patih Sultanate of the Canoman, Gusti Patih Pangeran Raja Muhammad Qodiran, expressed his appreciation for the government's support. "We are proud that this museum was inaugurated by the Minister. Hopefully it will make a real contribution to the culture in this country," he said.

The new exhibition space features narratives and collections that are updated informatively and educatively. This update is expected to strengthen the role of the Kanoman Museum as a cultural learning space, expand the government's government' collaboration of academics, and affirm the cultural identity of Cirebon.

The event was also attended by the ranks of the Ministry of Culture, Cirebon Mayor Effendi Edo, and the Cirebon Sultanate's extended family.

Fadli closed the inauguration with the affirmation that the museum should be a living space for the public. The Kanoman Museum is not just a place to store historical heritage, but a guardian of the spirit and potential of the future of Indonesian culture," he concluded.