Keraton Kasepuhan is generally considered the oldest of Cirebon's three palaces. located at the site of the 15th century Pakung Wati, the palace of Cirebon's first sultan, Sunan Gunung Jati. The palace maintains an impressive museum displaying the sultans? iconic royal carriages (kereta kencana), heirloom keris daggers, dazzling woodcarvings, and several gamelan orchestras, the most important of which?the Gong Sekati, or Sekaten'is played twice a year in one of the numerous ancient Javanese pavilions on the palace grounds. The Yayasan Keraton Kasepuhan organization under P. R. Arief Natadiningrat has embarked on various programs to help promote and preserve Cirebon's cultural heritage, including hosting Cirebon's participants in the periodic national Keraton Festival.



Keraton Kanoman is walking distance from Kasepuhan and boasts equal claims to antiquity and cultural importance. Along with its ancient Hindu-Javanese pavilions and gateways, Kanoman too has a museum displaying ancient Cirebon carriages, keris and gamelan, although their venerable Gong Sekati orchestra is not on public display. Keraton Kanoman has an active sanggar (art group) called Klapa Jajar, under the direction of Pangeran Agus Djoni.

But it is the smallest and youngest of the Cirebon three royal courts?Keraton Kacirebonan?that has really taken the lead in opening up and preserving Cirebon's previously restricted royal cultural treasures. The late Pangeran Haji Yusuf Dendabrata, more well-known as Elang Yusuf, was a virtual renaissance man of Cirebon culture. In addition to being the Lurah Seni (Arts Director) and Patih (second in command to the Sultan) of his palace, Elang Yusuf was personally active in the revival of the Cirebon arts of gamelan music, traditional dance, wood carving, glass painting, batik cloth, Cirebon architecture, and shadow puppet theater, performing as dalang (puppet master) in the Kacirebonan Palace shortly before his death in 2000.