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Menara Alor Setar (Alor Setar Tower)
Standing at 165.5m,
Menara Alor Setar
is
a telecommunications tower, as well as
being one of the main tourist attractions.
Built for Telekom Malaysia at a cost of
RM40 million,
The tower houses a few restaurants
and a souvenir shop and one of the main
functions of this building is as an observa-
tion point or the crescent moon that marks
the beginning of Muslim months such as
Ramadhan, Shawwal,
and
Zulhijjah
. The
observation deck, where this happens, is
at a height of 88m from the base of the
structure. Sky high, indeed!
were used to build the fort and that the
mortar for the walls was reputedly made
from a mixture of sand, egg whites and
honey. Heavy cannons were acquired from
England and installed, the most notable
of which were a pair of three-metre long
cannons.
Today, the area is a fishing village that
is known for the fresh seafood that the
restaurants there serve. Alor Setar is worth
a visit for her rich culture, history and old
world charms. The pace of life is just that
much slower and may be just what is
needed to soothe a tired soul.
Balai Nobat (Nobat Gallery)
The sole purpose of this 18m tall,
three-tiered octagonal tower is to
house all the royal musical instru-
ments, which include the
serunai
(wooden flute),
nafiri
(similar to a
trumpet),
gendang
(drum) and
gong
,
which is known as
nobat
.
It was officially opened in 1735 by
Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin
II and is believed that the original
Balai
Nobat
was built using wood.
Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram
Shah, during his reign, commissioned the
building of a new five-story
Balai Nobat
,
which incorporate zinc roofing.
The year 1906 saw a new building of
concrete and metal being built under the
reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim
Shah, the 25
th
Sultan of Kedah.
The new building was built using
concrete andmetal. The architecture
stayed true to the previous wooden
building and the dome at its apex
represents the Islamic element such
as those found on mosques.
Kota Kuala Kedah (Kuala Kedah Fort)
This fort is located approximately 10km
from Alor Setar and is located at the
mouth of the Kedah river. Built under the
guidance of Sultan Abdullah Mukurram
Shah to protect the State of Kedah from
invasion by enemies who came in by
sea, construction begun in 1771 and was
completed in 1880.
It is said that skilledmasons from India
Muzium Padi
Kuala Kedah Fort was built to
protect Kedah from enemies
who came in by sea
Menara Alor Setar is 165.5m
telecommunications tower
Balai Nobat is home
to all the royal
musical instruments