The pools and the women's dormitory (or sorts)

Continued from Stupa remains, the altars and a meeting place of sorts.

Next we headed to what is believed to be the women's dormitory or residence.

In front lies remains of a pool.

The write claimed it was here Ratu Balqis or Queen of Sheba received a letter from King Solomon demanding her to submit.

Entering the walls of the said women's quarters.

Interesting are the well-like pools...

Entering another level or layer before turning left to get to the southern walls.

The section called Pendopo or extra building/living quarters as we walked back from the south towards the main gates.

Stupa remains, the altars and a meeting place of sorts

Continued from The less known sections of Ratu Boko palace.

Walking down towards what is said to be the women's section.

The writer wanted to show us some stupa remains.

He said these are leftovers from some incomplete stupas at Borobudur.

You see he claimed a big portion of the Ratu Boko palace has been magically transported to Borobudur and the parts of the stupas where accidently left behind here.

He brought us here to support his claim that this palace was once resided by Ratu Balqis, a person known in the West and mentioned in the Bible as Queen of Sheba.

The official story is the queen had lived in the middle east, somewhere in Yemen, the southern tip of the Arab Peninsular. But the writer disputed that saying Ratu Balqis is from Java.

He said the mysterious figure in Javanese history called Ratu Boko of which this whole palace complex is credited to is none other than Ratu Balqis.

The altars he claimed were the places where she and her people used to worship the sun as mentioned in the holy Quran.

And next to it lies these stones are seats (or was it standing places?) he said were used when her council of nobles and elders meet.

The less known sections of Ratu Boko palace

Continued from Bypassing the main door to get to the south-east....

The Indonesian writer then took us further east.

If I'm not mistaken this is a house of a local which happens to be situated within the palace complex.

At this juncture we have walked almost half a kilometre from the palace's main entrance.  To the right is what is marked as Pendopo which I understand means an extra building normally for residence.

To the left is a trail leading to a cave.

But we want to go to the Keputren which I understand means the female quarters.

Bypassing the main door to get to the south-east...

Continued from Entering the Boko palace ground.

See how the main gates are arranged one after another?

Normally people entered the gates to reach a courtyard. But our guide, the Indonesia writer KH Fahmi Basya wanted us the check a different section first. So we veered right towards the south.

Along the way one can see what seemed to be left-overs from ancient masonry work.

Turning eastward upon reaching end of the main courtyard wall.

The palace complex is surely vast.