Alor Setar
KEDAH
the capital of Kedah
Alor Setar, known as the Tip of Malaysia, is one of the most-unique cities in Malaysia because the public and private sectors operate from Sunday to Thursday every week, observing a Friday–Saturday weekend, along with Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor.
Its location along the main travel route from Malaysia to Thailand has long made it a major transportation hub in the northern Malay Peninsula. At present, the city covers a land area of 666 km2 (257 sq mi), which is occupied by more than 300,000 inhabitants (as per the 2010 census). At the local-government level, Alor Setar is administered by the Alor Setar City Council.
KEY FACTS
CURRENCY : MYR
LOCAL CUISINE : CHINESE, MALAY, INDIAN
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SPECIALITIES : PADDY FIELD
PEAK HOURS : 12p.m.
COMMUNICATION MEDIUM : MALAY, CHINESE
Features
Magnificent architecture, paddy fields and hardly any tourists are three ways to describe Alor Setar, the capital of Kedah. The few visitors on a stopover between Langkawi and Penang want a whirlwind tour. Culture Trip uncovers the must-visit attractions in Alor Setar, including both the nationally famous Zahir Mosque and Alor Setar Tower, and the family homes of two of Malaysia’s most renowned leaders
Kedah Paddy Museum
Kedah Paddy Museum is locally and globally recognized. The paddy museum is the fourth paddy museum to be opened in the world after Japan, Germany and Philippines. The museum receives huge responses from both the local and international tourist since its official opening in October, 2004. The museum would indulge anyone to explore the paddy and history of Kedah whether it is from the production to manufacturing the paddy.
Alor Setar Clock Tower
Menara Jam Besar, or the Big Clock tower, is a clocktower in the centre of Alor Setar, Kedah. It was erected for the purpose of summoning Muslims to prayer. In the olden days, the clock would ring when it was prayer time. This prompted the beating of gongs in the Balai Nobat across the road. The Menara Jam Besar was built around the same time as the Masjid Zahir.
Balai Nobat Alor Setar
Balai Nobat is a ceremonial tower in Alor Setar used to house instruments for playing nobat, the dirge for royal ceremonies. Among the instruments are the serunai, a wind instrument resembling the clarinet; the nafiri, a type of long trumpet; gendang, a drum in the form of a hollow cylinder with parchment stretched over its open sides; and the gong.
The original Balai Nobat was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah, who reigned from 1854 to 1879. It had five floors and was constructed of stone and metal.
Zahir Mosque
Masjid Zahir is a mosque in Alor Setar, Kota Setar, Kedah, Malaysia, and the state mosque of the state of Kedah. The Zahir Mosque is one of the grandest and oldest mosques in Malaysia, having been built in 1912MalayThe Zahir Mosque. The design was inspired by the vision of the late Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin II, who was in turn inspired by the Azizi Mosque of the Langkat Sultanate in North Sumatra.The state's anual Qurʾān-reading competition is held within the premises of the mosque. The Zahir Mosque has been voted as one of the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the world.
Paddy Field
Kedah’s state nickname ‘Jelapang Padi’ refers to the wooden structure farmers once used to store drying paddy. Outside the city centre, rows and rows of paddy fields dominate the landscapes, as they have for generations. Witness the last sun rays sparkle off the flooded fields. Photographing the palm trees and stilted houses in the distance is among our favourite things to do in Alor Setar.
Gunung Jerai
Mount Jerai, formerly Kedah Peak, is a mountain in Kedah, Malaysia with the height of 3,854 feet. Within Kedah itself, the mountain stands at the border of Kuala Muda and Yan districts. The mountain is a massive limestone outcrop and is a lone feature from the surrounding geography of the area
