Kedah : Places Of Interest General Information
A Confluence of Identifiable Influences
Alor Star, Kedah's capital city and main administrator centre has its Sultan as the head of state and the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) leading the state government. Its name actually originated from the words “Alor” (small river stream) and “Setar” (a type of fruit-bearing tree). With an urban mix of character and civilization, existing side-by-side harmoniously. Something classical. Something new. Historical icons. Modern architecture.
BALAI BESAR
The magnificent Balai Besar first built in 1735 by Sultan Mohamad Jiwa, the 19th Sultan of Kedah, following inspirations from his visit to Palembang in Sumatera, It is exquisitely built with wooden pillars, roofs and flooring. Unfortunately, the building was badly damaged during the Siamese attacked in 1787 and was also severely burnt by the Bugis in 1770. Later, it was reconstructed and used for royal audiences, coronations, weddings and ceremonies.
ZAHIR MOSQUE Facing the Balai Besar is the Zahir Mosque, the state mosque completed in 1912. One of the oldest in Malaysia, it has a distinctively Moorish architecture, with a main dome and several smaller domes surrounded by minarets.
STATE MUSEUM The new Kedah State Museum was officiated on March 27, 2003 and it was first opened to public in 1997. It reflects the identity of true Malay Traditional houses especially the bumbung panjang’ or long roof that had become a main feature of Malay houses.
Opening Hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm (Daily)
PADDY MUSEUM
The latest popular tourist attraction that features different aspects of paddy cultivation through the ages, including samplings of paddy plants from around the world. Located at Gunung Keriang, about 8km from Alor Star, visitors can witness traditional methods of paddy planting equipment and the development of paddy cultivation technologies from the olden days until recent times.
Opening Hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm (Daily)
ALOR STAR TOWER Popularly visited for a panoramic viewing of the Alor Star cityscape from I 70 metres above sea-level. This I 9th world tallest telecommunications tower also welcome walk-in customers to its Seri Melayu revolving restaurant or corporate clients for seminars and meetings.
Opening Hours: 9.00 am 10.00 pm (Daily)
KOTA KUALA KEDAH The remains of a history-filled fort situated at the estuary of the Kedah River was built by Indian stone masons in the early 17th century with the help of the Portuguese to ward off Kedah’s adversaries.
TUN DR. MAHATHIR'S BIRTH PLACE The birth place of Malaysia’s dynamic and world-renowned former prime minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Built in 1900, there are memoirs from his childhood to his schooldays and to the time he became a doctor
Opening Hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm (Closed on Monday)
RUMAH MERDEKA (INDEPENDENCE HOUSE) The Rumah Merdeka was acquired by the National Archives of Malaysia in 2003. The house was subsequently restored and renovated with the view to preserving it setting for the benefit of future generations. The land on which the house is sited was originally owned by Che Manjalara, the mother of the late Y.T.M. TunkuAbdul Rahman Putra, fondly known as Bapa Kemerdekaan and Bapa Malaysia. The land was subsequently given to Tunku.
During the Japanese Occupation in 1942, Tunku built a wooden house on this site, known as Rumah Jalan Barn. In 1953, the Tunku built a brick house on the same site, and retained the plank house using it as the top floor. This house came to be known as Rumah Merdeka by the Tunku’s friends including Senu Abdul Rahman, Khir Johari and Tan Cheng Lock. The house was built at an estimated cost of RM20,000.
It was here that Tunku conceived and organized his successful election strategies in preparation for the general elections of 1955, 1959 and 1969. It was also in this very house that Tunku spent his leisure hours writing. His writings include script for two well- known movies, “Raja Bersiong” and “Mahsuri”. On 27 May 1966, a Goodwill Mission comprising 20 officers of the Indonesian Armed Forces, led by Second Admiral O.B Sjaaf met with Tunku to settle the thorny issue of confrontation between the two countries. The Goodwill mission paved the way for the preliminary meeting of 7 June 1966 held in Bangkok between Tun Abdul Razak Hussien and Adam Malik. The climax of the negotiation was the final meeting of 11th August 1966 in Jakarta, that brought the drawn Confrontation an official end.
The Ground Floor
The ground floor exhibits furniture's, souvenirs, portraits and others that belong to Tunku. There are Guest Room, Dining Hall and Leisure Area facing the Anak Bukit River.
The Upper Floor
At the upper floor the exhibits are bedroom belong to Tunku himself and Tunku Khadijah. There are Study/Music Room, Praying Room/Bedroom. At the central the exhibits are collections of Tunku’s hobbies.
Outdoor Display
At the exterior there are boat house, rest stand, pools, the landscape and trees that has survive since Tunku lived at the house such as the mangoes trees, the ciku trees and sugar cane.
Visiting Hours
The House is on to the visitors. No entrance fees are charged. The visiting hours are as below:
Sunday - Thursday : 10.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Friday : 10.00 am. - 12.00 & noon 3.00 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.
CLOSED on Monday
Tel : 04-720 4212 / 772 2301
PEKAN RABU Pekan Rabu or Wednesday market was built in 1967. It is believed that Pekan Rabu is the first shopping complex that caters for everyday needs such as traditional Malay food, traditional medicine, crafts and clothes under one roof.
Opening Hours 900 am -7.00 pm (Daily)
GUA GUNUNG KERIANG The Gua Gunung Kenang located at Gunung Keriang, 8km from the Alor Star city This cave comprises a number of different caves namely Gua Terus (Straight Cave), Gua Pelamin (Daisshaped Cave), Gua Seribu Bayur and several unnamed smaller ones. The 600-metre long Gua Terus is about 100 metres above the Gunung Keriang recreational area. Several attractive limestone formations are visible in these caves.
Visitors can use the hiking trek to reach the caves entrance as well as to its peak, where various flora and fauna such as shrubs, fichus, ferns, wild orchids, cacti and parasites, swallows and bats can be found.
Kedah : Places Of Interest General Information
