The Kota Bharu Historical Belt

Being brought up in Kota Bharu town itself, I did not realise how interesting the town was until I had the opportunity to travel to other parts of the world and visited sites where tourist normally go to.

Kota Bharu has a number of buildings which capture the historical, social and cultural dimensions of Kelantan. Quite a number of them are located near Kubang Pasu, which I wish to refer to as the Historical Belt of Kota Bharu.

Masjid Muhammadi is the State Mosque and was built based on the same design as the Johor state mosque. This mosque symbolises the importance of Islam as the religion which has strong influence in the values of Kelantanese.

Masjid Muhammadi

Besides the Masjid Muhammadi is the building which housed the Majlis Ugama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan (The Kelantan Islamic and Malay Cultural Council) or Bangunan Majlis. The proximity of the Bangunan Majlis and Masjid Muhammadi reinforce the connection of Islam with the Malay culture as practiced in Kelantan.

Bangunan Majlis

In front of Bangunan Majlis is the Padang Merdeka or Independent Square. This is where the memorial for the First World War is located. Independent Square is also known as Padang Bank since a building which housed a bank in the 70's is located in the same row as Bangunan Majlis.

First World War Memorial at Padang Bank. Masjid Muhammadi and bangunan Majlis could be seen from this angle.

Istana Jahar is also located within this area. It was built in 1887 during the reign of Sultan Muhammad II. This was the residence of Sultan Muhammad III and few other sultans of Kelantan. Presently, Istana Jahar is the museum of regal customs of Kelantan.

Istana Jahar

Besides Istana Jahar is Istana Balai Besar or the Grand Palace. The Istana Balai Besar was built in 1884 by Sultan Muhammad II. Istana Balai Besar is presently used for special royal events. It also house the Royal Throne and Royal Regalia.

Istana Balai Besar

Bank Pitis or Money Bank is located in front of Istana Balai Besar. It was built during the reign of Sultan Muhammad III as the strong room to keep the state treasury and important documents. Pitis is the name of Kelantanese currency which was issued beginning in 1906 but was stopped when the British started producing coins for the Straits Settlement.

Bank Pitis

The Kota Bharu Arc was built when the Islamic Party took over the government in the late 1990s. The architecture symbolises the importance of Islam in the Kelantanese society. On the top of the arc is the replica of Quran, the holy book for Muslims.

Kota Baru Arc