The heritage area of Kota Bahru is all around the Istana Jahar, so here are some of the sites viewed in the afternoon…. First, the gates! shown above. The monumental nature of these structures is striking; they are the Sultan Ismail Petra Arch. Sultan Ismail Petra was the 28th Sultan of Kelantan, ruling from 1980 to 2010, and was much loved. They dwarf the delicate Istana Jahar which would be on the right side of this photo.
On the opposite side of this square is the Grand Palace (Istana Balai Besar), built in 1844, and hidden behind enormous gates. Visitors are not allowed inside here. This palace contains the royal throne and the royal regalia of Kelantan, and is now reserved for ceremonial occasions.
Next door to the Grand Palace is this tiny building, known as the Bank Pitis. It was a strong room to house treasury notes and state documents during the reign of Sultan Muhammad III in the late 1800’s. The name 'pitis’ refers to the coins used at this time, which were round, made of tin, and with a hole in the centre.
We returned to the area after 6 pm, when the sun was not so hot and golden hour had arrived. You can see what a difference the light makes to a photo of the Sultan Ismail Petri Arch.
Next we walked towards Padang Merdeka (Independence Square), via the Masjid Muhammadi, which is the state mosque. A guy in the street market opposite the mosque suggested we visit the Islamic Museum there, but everything was closed by now, so that was not an option.
We squeezed through a gap to enter Padang Merdeka , with the clock tower in the distance and the World War I memorial behind us.
A memorial plaque was placed on each of the four sides of the base of the memorial obelisk, recording the names of the dead in English, Malay (Jawi script), Chinese and Hindu.
We walked along the northern side of the square where we found a World War II memorial, in what was once the Kerapu Bank. There was a bunker and some military vehicles in the grounds, but we decided not to visit the next day when it would be open.
Along this piece of the road we other interesting buildings, such as this one….
And, on the south side of the park we found an interesting mural.
Next we headed towards the clock tower and the river bank, which you can see on the next page.
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