Reposted from the web

Summary: Kelantan sits on the Thailand-Malaysia border and is known as one of the strongest centers of Malay culture. This long travel account covers Kota Bharu royal palaces, museums, court traditions, shadow puppetry, handicrafts, and Muhammadi Mosque.

Kelantan sits on the border of Thailand and Malaysia, facing the South China Sea. It is known as the cradle of Malay culture and remains the region where this culture is strongest.

Kelantan is still ruled by a Sultan today. The Sultan of Kelantan, Hajji Mahmud Jiddah Riayah Saadatussalam, was originally a Buddhist king (raja) named Raja Bharubhasa. It is said he converted to the faith in 1345 and officially took the title of Sultan. As an important trading port along the South China Sea, Kelantan has long had close ties with China, Thailand, and Indonesia. Zheng He visited here during his fourth voyage in 1413.

In 1844, Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan moved the capital to Kota Bharu (meaning new city) at the mouth of the Kelantan River. That same year, he built the Grand Palace (Balai Besar). Five generations of Sultans lived in the palace between 1844 and 1920. Later, it became a place for investitures, state banquets, and various royal ceremonies. The current Sultan, Muhammad V, held his coronation ceremony here in 2010.

The Grand Palace (Balai Besar) was built by a craftsman from Terengganu named Muhamad Salleh. He used the traditional style of the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and was the best woodcarver in the region at the time. Although the front hall was expanded in the early 20th century, the palace kept its traditional architectural style. It is the most classic existing Malay royal palace.



















Next to the Grand Palace (Balai Besar) in Kelantan stands the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar), built in 1887. It is currently open to the public as the Royal Museum of Traditional Customs. The Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) was originally built by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan for his grandson, Long Kundur, so it was called the Palace of the Second King. After the second king ascended the throne as Sultan Muhammad III in 1889, this place officially became part of the Kelantan Sultan's palace complex. In 1911, Sultan Muhammad IV ordered the palace to be renovated and gave it to his son, Ismail. Ismail became the new Sultan in 1920, and the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) continued to be used as a royal palace. The Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) officially became a museum in 1981.

Like the Grand Palace (Balai Besar), the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) was originally a traditional single-story Malay wooden house. It was later rebuilt into a two-story brick structure, blending European architecture with traditional Kelantan styles, reflecting the Western influence on the Kelantan royal family. While the roof, facade, and other decorative elements show typical traditional Malay features, the iron spiral staircase, iron railings, and octagonal porch inside are clearly influenced by European styles.





















The Royal Museum of Traditional Customs at the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) displays and introduces various traditional ceremonies of the Kelantan royal court.

















The traditional Malay wood carvings collected by the Royal Museum of Traditional Customs at the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) were mostly used for decorating traditional buildings like mosques and houses.

















The platform in the courtyard of the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar), called Panca Persada, is where princes would bathe before their wedding and circumcision ceremonies.



The Royal Museum of Traditional Customs at the Jahar Palace (Istana Jahar) houses divine bird boats, a unique cultural tradition of the Sultanates of Kelantan and Pattani. The first boat, Petala Indera Seri Kekayangan, was a gift from King Rama V of Thailand to Sultan Muhammad IV during his visit to Kelantan in 1905. The second, Burung Petalawati, was used for the circumcision ceremony of Tengku Zainal Abidin in 1933.

The origin of this divine bird can be traced back to ancient Malay legends and Indian culture. It was likely influenced by the giant bird in the Malay epic Isma Dewa and the mythical bird Garuda from Indian mythology. After 1933, the divine bird procession in the Kelantan region stopped because it was considered to deviate from the faith. It is now only preserved in the Malay community in the Pattani region of southern Thailand, though on a much smaller scale.

















Batu Palace (Istana Batu) was a wedding gift from Sultan Muhammad XV of Kelantan to his nephew, Sultan Yahya Petra, and his wife, Tengku Zainab II, in 1939. It served as the palace for the third-ranking prince for many years. In 1960, Yahya Petra became the Sultan of Kelantan and moved to the Great Palace (Istana Balai Besar). The building was renovated in 1966 to become the home of Princess Tengku Salwani. From 1969 to 1972, it was the residence of Crown Prince Ismail Petra, and later it was used as a royal guesthouse. Since 1991, it has officially been the Kelantan Royal Museum, where you can see scenes of 20th-century life in the Kelantan Sultanate court.





The Blue Room was originally Sultan Yahya Petra's bedroom. It became Princess Tengku Salwani's bridal chamber in 1966. When Crown Prince Ismail Petra lived there in 1969, it was painted blue and furnished with solid wood pieces crafted by a famous Kelantan master carpenter. The room later hosted many royal family members. When Ismail Petra was crowned Sultan in 1980, the Sultanah of Johor, Tengku Nora, stayed here.





The Yellow Room was originally the bedroom for Sultan Yahya Petra's children. After 1960, it was used as a royal guest room. The current furniture was specially designed by Sultanah Tengku Zainab II for her daughter Tengku Salwani's wedding in 1966. Before 1991, this room was used as a bridal chamber for the Kelantan Sultanate court.



The Pink Room was originally Princess Tengku Salwani's bedroom, and it was later used by her son. The furniture in this room was ordered from Singapore.









Among the royal photos in the Kelantan Royal Museum, the first black-and-white one is of Sultan Ismail (1920-1944).













Parked outside is the Rolls-Royce used by Sultan Ismail Petra after 1980.







The Kelantan Islamic Museum (Muzium Islam Kelantan) was built in 1901. It was originally the official residence of the Kelantan Chief Minister, Hassan Muhammad Salleh, and is a two-story Malay wooden house in the Kelantan architectural style. Between 1917 and 1990, it served as the office for the Kelantan Islamic Council and the Customs Department. It opened as the Islamic Museum in 1991, but unfortunately, the museum is now closed.









The Kelantan State Museum was built in 1930. It was originally the Kota Bharu Land Office and was converted into a museum after 1990.







The Kelantan State Museum does not have many exhibits, but you can see precious Kelantan shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit). Kelantan shadow puppetry has a very long history. It was once widespread in southern Thailand and northern Malaysia, especially in the Pattani region of southern Thailand and in Kelantan. There are many theories about the origin of Kelantan shadow puppetry. One theory suggests that 19th-century Kelantanese learned it from shadow puppetry masters on the island of Java. However, today's Kelantan shadow puppetry is significantly different from Javanese shadow puppetry. For example, Kelantan shadow puppetry is performed in the Kelantan Malay dialect, and the costumes of the puppet characters have a typical southern Thai style.

The stories in Kelantan shadow puppetry mainly come from the Indian epic Ramayana. Besides the main plot, there are many smaller stories not found in the book. some stories are taken from ancient Malay legends and Arabic legends, which is a major feature of Kelantan shadow puppetry.











The Kelantan State Museum houses costumes from the Kelantan court dance-drama, Mak Yong. Mak Yong originated in the Pattani region of southern Thailand around the 13th century and became a court dance-drama for the Kelantan Sultanate after the 18th century. Before the end of the 19th century, Mak Yong theater was performed exclusively for the Sultan's court, and it only began to be performed in public spaces after the 20th century.

The content of Mak Yong theater can be traced back to ancient Malay legends, many of which come from animism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, including Buddhist Jataka tales that have already been lost in India.

A very unique point of Mak Yong theater is that all the main roles are played by women. The lead actress, Mak Yong, is responsible for solo singing and leading the performance, while the palace maids around her provide backing vocals and dance. Men can only play the role of the clown for comic relief.

After the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) came to power in 1991, public performances of Mak Yong theater were banned. Although some veteran artists have stuck to their art despite the ban, they find it very difficult to get opportunities to perform.















The Kelantan-style Malay kite is called Wau Bulan. Bulan means moon in Malay, because this kite looks like a rising crescent moon when it flies. You can see workshops that make these kites in the village of Kampung Laut in Kelantan.



Congkak is a strategy board game popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. It originated in Egypt during the ancient Roman era and later spread to Southeast Asia through Arabia and India. It was once a court game of the Malacca Sultanate. The Congkak boards in the Kelantan region are beautifully decorated, and some are carved with bird patterns.







The Pitis Bank at the entrance of the Kelantan Sultan's palace is the oldest brick building in Kelantan, and its main gate is made of very sturdy chengal wood. The bank was built in 1889 by Sultan Muhammad III to store the tin currency called Pitis that was issued by the Sultan at the time. After the British Straits Settlements began issuing currency in 1909, Pitis gradually faded from history.





The Kota Bharu Handicraft Village is right next to the Sultan's palace. It was built in 1991 in the style of a traditional Kelantan Malay wooden house and is used specifically to display traditional Kelantan handicrafts.



















The Kota Bharu Handicraft Village displays traditional Kelantan Malay batik fabric.



















The Kota Bharu Handicraft Village displays traditional Kelantan wood carvings, including coconut graters and traditional Malay Congkak boards.



















The Muhammadi Mosque (Masjid Jamek Muhammadi) is the congregational mosque of Kelantan state. It was built in 1867 by Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan and was changed from a wooden structure to a concrete one in 1922, featuring a neoclassical revival style. In 1931, Sultan Ismail presided over the opening ceremony and officially named it the Muhammadi Mosque.

From the late 19th century to the 20th century, this place was an important center for Islamic studies in Malaysia, and many great scholars taught here. Because many students would go to Mecca for further studies after graduating, this place is also known as the 'Gateway to Mecca'. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The second Kelantan travel account focuses on mosques and local Muslim life around Kota Bharu and Kampung Laut. It records a 1940 wooden house near the state mosque, Kampung Laut Mosque, An-Naim Mosque, prayer during a meal, and the halal Chinese restaurant near the mosque.













Behind the State Mosque stands a wooden house built in 1940 that feels like a mix of a Malay wooden house and gingerbread style. I met the imam of the mosque in front of the wooden house and had a great chat with him.









Kampung Laut Mosque (Masjid Kampung Laut) is located by the Kelantan River north of Kota Bharu and is known as one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. According to local legends passed down through generations, ancestors set sail from Champa in southern Vietnam to spread the faith in Java, but a storm damaged their boat and left them stranded on the Kelantan coast. They made a dua to build a mosque wherever they could safely dock their boat. Just then, a school of barracuda swam into the boat and plugged the leaks, keeping it from sinking. After the storm, the boat sailed along the Kelantan River and docked safely at Kampung Laut, where the ancestors built the first Kampung Laut Mosque.

There is no clear record of when Kampung Laut Mosque was first built, but it is estimated to be between the 15th and 18th centuries. It is said the original main hall was just a pavilion, and it was not expanded until the late 18th century into a stilt wooden house high enough to tether an elephant. Between 1886 and 1889, the original sago palm leaf roof was replaced with clay tiles, and a wooden minaret was added in the 1890s. Kampung Laut Mosque was destroyed by floods in 1967, then moved to Nilam Puri for reconstruction, and was not moved back to a high platform in Kampung Laut until 2020.























An-Naim Mosque is the municipal mosque of Kota Bharu, located near the Four Seasons Restaurant, the largest halal Chinese restaurant in Kota Bharu. We went to the mosque to pray namaz in the middle of our meal, then went back to finish eating. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Perak travel account visits the royal town of the Sultan of Perak and a busy Malay night market. It preserves the original details on palace streets, market food, local movement, and cultural scenes in plain English.

Kuala Kangsar is located north of Ipoh, the capital of Perak state in Malaysia, and has been the royal city of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. Unlike Ipoh, which is mainly Chinese, Kuala Kangsar is an authentic Malay town where you can experience pure Malay village (kampung) life.

We took a bus from Ipoh to Kuala Kangsar in the afternoon and arrived just in time for the Friday night market (Pasar Minggu Setiap Jumaat) in front of the Kuala Kangsar main market. The variety of vegetables, fruits, and local snacks was overwhelming, offering a refreshing change after visiting several Chinese-majority cities.



















We bought some Malay-style spring rolls (popia) at the first stall. Malay spring rolls originated from immigrants from southern Fujian and Chaoshan. They are filled with bean sprouts and sweet sauce, then rolled up and can be eaten either fried or fresh.





At the second stall, we bought satay skewers, which included both beef and chicken. Satay originated on the island of Java, developed by Javanese people based on the South Asian kebabs brought by Indian merchants. The word satay comes from the South Indian Tamil word 'catai,' which literally means 'meat'. After the 19th century, Javanese people brought satay to the Malay Peninsula, and it became a classic Malay snack.







We bought some boiled sweet corn at the third stall.









We had a cup of iced soy milk (air soya) and a serving of steamed rice noodles (putu mayam). Putu mayam originated in South India and Sri Lanka and was brought to Malaysia by Tamil immigrants. It is made by mixing rice flour with coconut milk and pressing it through a machine similar to a noodle press. It is served with brown sugar and shredded coconut.









We also saw two types of traditional rice dumplings, ketupat and lontong. Ketupat is a type of rice dumpling from the Java region, wrapped in palm or coconut leaves into a diamond or triangular shape, while lontong is wrapped in banana leaves into a cylindrical shape. Legend has it that Sunan Kalijaga, one of the nine saints (Wali Sanga) of Javanese Islam, introduced ketupat in the 15th century, and it became a special food for Ramadan in many parts of Java and Indonesia. The crisscrossed palm leaves symbolize the sins people have committed, while the white rice inside symbolizes seeking forgiveness through fasting.





Stuffed tofu (tauhu sumbat) is a Malay dish learned from Hakka stuffed tofu. It is fried tofu filled with shredded carrots and bean sprouts, served with sambal or sweet chili sauce. It is a classic snack for breaking the fast during Ramadan.





The classic Malay street snack steamed rice cake (putu piring) was first brought to Malaysia by Fujian immigrants. It is made by pressing rice flour with crushed peanuts, shredded coconut, and palm sugar inside a special stainless steel mold.



We took the snacks we bought at the Kuala Kangsar night market back to Hotel Casuarina by the Perak River.







From top to bottom, there are satay meat skewers and rice cakes (ketupat) from the Javanese, steamed rice flour noodles (putu mayam) from the South Indian Tamils, and stuffed tofu from the Hakka Chinese. This shows the diversity and inclusion of Malay cuisine.





The hotel where we stayed is likely the largest in Kuala Kangsar. We could eat breakfast on the terrace by the Perak River. They had traditional Malay coconut milk rice (nasi lemak) and chicken curry. White porridge with fried peanuts and anchovies is also a classic Malay food pairing.









After breakfast, we followed the Perak River east into the heart of the Perak Sultan's royal city, a small hill called Bukit Chandan. Compared to the Kuala Kangsar town center, the environment in Bukit Chandan is especially nice, with clean, tidy streets and lots of greenery.









The first royal building we saw was the Ulu Palace (Istana Ulu), built between 1898 and 1903 by the 28th Sultan of Perak, Idris I, who reigned from 1887 to 1916. The palace blends neoclassical, Renaissance, and Moorish styles. The roof tiles came from France, the walls and floor tiles from Italy, and the wood was sourced locally. People say all the imported materials were shipped via the Perak River, while the wood was hauled by elephants. The Ulu Palace was converted into an exhibition hall in 2003 by the 34th Sultan, Azlan Shah, but it has been closed since 2018.

Sultan Idris I ascended the throne in 1887 and visited the United Kingdom in 1888 at the invitation of Queen Victoria. Under his rule, towns in Perak developed rapidly, the population exceeded 200,000, rubber plantations expanded, and tin production increased significantly. In 1896, Sultan Idris I signed the Federation Treaty with the Sultans of Pahang and Selangor and the Yamtuan Besar (the title for the supreme ruler of Negeri Sembilan). They merged Perak, Pahang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan into the Federated Malay States, handing real power to the British and keeping authority only over matters involving Malay customs and religion.









East of the Ulu Palace is the Ubudiah Mosque (Masjid Ubudiah), commissioned by Sultan Idris I and built between 1913 and 1917. It is the royal mosque of the Sultan of Perak. Sultan Idris I fell seriously ill in 1911 and made a dua that he would build a mosque if he recovered. He recovered as expected, so he hired British architect Arthur Benison Hubback to design and build the Ubudiah Mosque. Arthur designed many Indo-Saracenic style buildings for British Malaya, including the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Jamek Mosque, and the National Textile Museum.

The Ubudiah Mosque also features the classic Indo-Saracenic style, with tall golden Mughal onion domes and a main structure built from marble imported from Italy and Britain. Construction began in 1913, but the marble shipped from Italy was crushed during a fight between two of the Sultan's elephants, forcing them to order more from Italy. World War I broke out soon after, so the marble had to travel through South Africa before finally arriving. Sultan Idris I passed away in 1916 without seeing the mosque finished, and it was not officially opened until 1918 by his successor, Sultan Abdul Jalil.



















Next to the Ubudiah Mosque is the Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum, built in 1915. It holds the graves of eight Sultans of Perak—the 26th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, and 34th—along with many royal family members, all housed in a Mughal-style building.

The 26th Sultan of Perak, Abdullah II (reigned 1874–1877), signed the Pangkor Treaty with the British in 1874. This legalized British control over Malay rulers and remains a major event in modern Malaysian history.

In 1875, Sultan Abdullah II chaired a meeting where he agreed to let local Malay nationalists start an anti-British struggle, which led to the assassination of James W. W. Birch, the British colonial official who actually controlled Perak. After Birch was assassinated, British troops arrived from Hong Kong and Burma to reinforce their position. The Malay people resisted bravely and killed several British officers, but they were defeated and captured after more than a year of fighting.

In 1877, Sultan Abdullah was deposed and exiled to the Seychelles. He later lived in Singapore and Penang for many years before being allowed to return to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar in 1922. He died there shortly after and was buried in the royal mausoleum.







Next to the Ubudiah Mosque is a traditional Malay village (kampung), where you can see traditional Malay stilt houses everywhere. The most famous one is called Baitul An-Nur, which was built in 1912 by master Malay craftsman Tukang Sofian for the wife of the Perak prince, Raja Harun Al Rashid. This place was once open as an exhibition hall, but it has been abandoned for a long time.



















Continuing east from the Ubudiah Mosque into the valley, you reach the Istana Kenangan, the only palace in Malaysia with bamboo walls. The Istana Kenangan was commissioned by the 30th Sultan of Perak, Iskandar, after a great flood in 1926. It was built by Malay carpenter Enci Sepian and his two sons, and because it sits in the valley, it is also known as the Valley Palace. It served as the Sultan's personal residence from 1931 to 1933. After the new Istana Iskandariah was completed in 1933, it became a place for the Sultan to hold ceremonies and host guests during festivals.

Kenangan Palace is a rare example of a traditional Malay palace from that era built entirely without using any nails. The floor plan is shaped like a sword sheath, with the Sultan's bedroom at the hilt and the Sultan's throne (Singgahsana) further ahead. The palace walls are woven with diamond-shaped lattice (Kelarai), a very distinctive traditional Malay craft.



















Up the hill from Kenangan Palace stands the more majestic Iskandariah Palace (Istana Iskandariah). It was commissioned by Sultan Iskandar of Perak in 1933 and has been the residence of the Sultan of Perak ever since. In 2007, it hosted the grand wedding of Prince Raja Nazrin Shah. Because it is the current Sultan's residence, the palace is not open to the public, so you can only look up at it from the foot of the hill.

Iskandariah Palace uses the Indo-Saracenic architectural style that was popular at the time, featuring Mughal onion domes and Moorish arches, similar to the style of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The palace faces the Perak River and has one large dome and four smaller ones. Inside are the Sultan's suite and the princess's bedroom, as well as a banquet hall, living room, billiard room, music room, and council chamber.













Perak River







After touring the Perak Sultan's royal city, we returned to the town of Kuala Kangsar and ate at a South Indian nasi kandar restaurant. The owner is from Chennai on the east coast of South India, which is also the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. South Indian nasi kandar is known for its wide variety of curries to choose from. We picked curry mutton, curry squid, and curry fish, which were both delicious and convenient.

We met a retired Malay teacher in the restaurant. When she found out we were tourists from China, she insisted on paying our bill and invited us to her home. It was a pity we couldn't go because we had to catch a train, but we truly felt the warmth of the Malay people. view all