The Indonesian Minister of Culture emphasized the need to accelerate the restoration of the entire Prambanan and Sewu temple areas.
The Indonesian government is committed to accelerating the restoration of the ancillary temples at Prambanan Temple. This was confirmed by Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon during a visit to the Prambanan and Sewu Temple complexes on Tuesday (September 8, 2026).
"So, we're currently discussing how to undertake a major restoration of Prambanan Temple, which will of course involve many experts so that we can restore it completely. We've also received assistance from India, particularly for one quadrant of the plan," explained Minister of Culture Fadli Zon.
The Ministry of Culture is working to accelerate the restoration and revitalization of the Prambanan Temple complex in an effort to preserve cultural heritage and make it a cultural center that has an impact on the community.
"This step was taken to preserve the monumental cultural heritage of the 9th century AD intact, while also establishing it as a cultural center and living heritage that has an impact on the community," explained Fadli Zon.
The Ministry of Culture is finalizing a comprehensive study on the restoration of the Prambanan Temple complex, involving experts in conservation, archaeology, and structural engineering. The government is open to international collaboration in the restoration and revitalization of the Prambanan Temple complex.
Technical challenges include the availability of original stone materials at the temple site. Some of the temple's building stones are estimated to have dispersed, leaving between 10 and 30 percent of the original material at each point. The condition of the remaining stones also varies, with some intact, others broken, and others experiencing degradation and weathering due to salting and the influence of microenvironmental factors.
In accordance with the restoration guidelines set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the restoration of three-quarters of the temple area will be carried out independently by a team of Indonesian national experts.
"We are currently discussing how to carry out a major restoration of Prambanan Temple. This will of course involve many experts so that we can restore Prambanan Temple completely," said the Minister of Culture.
The visit of the Indonesian Minister of Culture was also attended by the Director General of Cultural and Tradition Protection Restu Gunawan, Director of Operations of InJourney Destination Management Indung Purwita Jati and GM of Prambanan and Ratu Boko Leonardus Adityo Nugroho.
The Indonesian Minister of Culture visited Prambanan Temple, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, with three main shrines: Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. The group also visited the Sewu Temple complex in Klaten, Central Java.
The comprehensive restoration and revitalization of the Prambanan and Sewu temple complexes is being undertaken to preserve these monumental cultural heritage sites dating back to the 9th century AD. This also positions them as cultural centers and living heritage sites that impact the community.
The Minister of Culture stated that the comprehensive restoration of the temple is not only aimed at restoring the building, but also at revitalizing a tourism ecosystem based on culture, history, and religion that can bring sustainable benefits to the community.
"We hope this will attract more cultural, historical, and religious tourists from various countries, including foreign and domestic tourists," he concluded.
