Alor Setar Things to Do

This is one of the most imposing Buddhist shrines in the city and it bears strong architectural influences of Thailand and a minor touch of Chinese motifs... It is a sanctuary and oasis and provides spiritual shelter to Buddhists from the city and abroad...

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The Golden Jubilee Park in Alor Star was built in commemoration of the Kedah Sultan’s golden jubilee celebration in 2008... The park took seven months to be completed, was designed with a beautiful landscape comprising a golden jubilee landmark, sculptures of Kedah’s rulers, fountains, a mural wall, man-made lake, jogging track and skating rink...

The 20ha park showcasing the history of the Kedah Sultanate dating back some 1,000 years ago is utilise as a recreational park and was opened on August 5, 2008...

The 20 metre-high golden jubilee landmark with five "keris" (daggers) represented Tuanku Abdul Halim’s 50-year reign... The landmark also contained 28 engraved stones representing the history of the Kedah’s 28 rulers since 1,000 years ago...

The park also had ample facilities including a children’s playground and picnic benches with a large parking space to accommodate 3,000 cars at a time...

An audience hall, it was built in 1735 by the 19th Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Muazzam Shah... The building was refurbished in 1896 after it was damaged and destroyed in attacks by the Bugis armada in 1770 and again when Siam attacked in 1821... It was used for installation ceremonies, official ceremonies and state council conferences from 1905 until 1973...

This 3-tiered octagonal tower was built to keep all the royal musical instruments including the serunai (wooden flute), nafiri, gendang (drum) and gong, which are known as nobat... This 9-piece musical set encompasses three drums, a gong, two flutes, two instruments called the cheng-cheng, and a trumpet-like instrument called the nafiri which produces the haunting strains of nobat music...

Right now, there are only a handful of these orchestras left in the country... This tower, however, is closed to the public... In order to view the nobat, visitors must obtain permission from the State Secretariat...

Standing at 165.5m tall, the tower is a modern landmark in this old city, functioning both as a telecommunications tower and a tourist attraction... The tower's platform allows visitors to wnjy a breath-taking view that stretches from Gunung Jerai to the Straits of Malacca... It is the second tallest tower in Malaysia and ranked 19th tallest in the world...

Built in 1912, this site was actually the burial grounds ofwarriors who died defending Kedah in the attack by siam in 1821... This mosque is enhanced with five large domes symbolising the five Islamic principles... This is one of the oldest and grandest mosques in the country...

Aslo known as the Mak Wan Besar Palace, this building was originally a palace during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah and his consort, Wan Hajar Wan Ismail, whoi was affectionally known as Mak Wan Besar...

The nation's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdual Rahman Putra was also born adjacent to this palace on February 8, 1903 and once grew up in this palace while his father, the late Sultan Abdul Hamid and his mother Mak Che Manjalara resided there... On July 1983, this palace was declared the "Kedah Royal Museum"...

The Kedah State Art Gallery holds a good collection which includes paintings, photographs, musical instruments and handicrafts... It used to house the office of the Sultan, the state treasury, audit office and the British Adviser residence in 1912 but was converted to its present day gallery in 1983, in commemoration of the reigning Sultan's 25th year reign... Temporary exhibitions are held at regular intervals...