Kota Bharu Attractions

Kota Bharu is one of the ten districts in Kelantan. It is also the district in which the town of Kota Bharu is situated.

The Kota Bharu town lies on the east bank of the Kelantan River, about thirteen kilometres inland from the coast that faces the South China Sea. Kota Bharu is the state capital of Kelantan. 

Kota Bharu was founded in the late 19^th century. It was home to the royalty of Kelantan. In 1844, Kota Bharu was established by Sultan Muhammad II, who wanted a new state capital. Prior to its establishment, it was known as Kuala Kelantan.

The Kelantan River was used as a transportation route for goods as Kota Bharu was an entrepot for gold, tin ore, black pepper, areca nut, rice, rattan, bamboo, agarwood and songket. Kota Bharu was one of the places seized by the Japanese during World War 2.

 

Pintu Gerbang Sultan Ismail Petra

The Sultan Ismail Petra Archway or Pintu Gerbang Ismail Petra is located in the heart of Kota Bharu. The arch was built to commemorate the declaration of Kota Bharu as a Cultural Town in the 1990s.

It is a majestic archway and it comprises thirteen pillars. The central pillar, which is also the tallest separates two adjacent arches that stand side by side. The top of the central pillar is adorned with a sculpture of the Quran on its stand. Each of the adjoining arches is flanked by three pillars. The keystone of each arch is embellished with skilfully carved verses of the Quran.

The Sultan Ismail Petra Archway is named after Sultan Ismail Petra, the 28^th Sultan of Kelantan. Located at Kota Sultan Ismail, the archway is an iconic structure in Kota Bharu. It is built entirely of timber.

Behind the archway is a huge car parking space. Several of Kota Bharu’s attractions are located within the vicinity of this archway. These include the Grand Palace or Istana Balai Besar and Padang Merdeka as well as the museums of Kelantan.

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Istana Balai Besar

The Grand Palace or Istana Balai Besar is located within the vicinity of the Pintu Gerbang Sultan Ismail Petra. Istana Balai Besar is one of the oldest palaces in the country. It is named as such because it has a very large hall.  In fact, this enormous hall is still being used for royal ceremonies such as coronation. Today, the Istana Besar also serves as an institution that preserves the Malay heritage and tradition.  

The palace was built in 1842 on a 1.6-hectare site. It took two years to complete. The palace was built to replace the old one which was hit by floods every year.  When the construction of the palace completed in 1844, the seat of the sultanate was shifted there.

It is believed that the palace complex put in place the prototype for subsequent palaces in the state - namely it comprises six key areas, the porch or anjung, the audience hall or balai besar, the main house or rumah ibu, the middle house or rumah tengah, the kitchen area or rumah dapur and the veranda or tempat jemuran basah.

The Balai Besar or audience hall is the Sultan’s reception hall. It is built on the ground and has a tripartite roof.  The central and the highest roof is supported by a five-metre-tall column. Before the 1980s, the timber palace was whitewashed but was repainted dark brown and gold detailing on the exterior walls and the wooden fortress-like wall that surrounds the complex.

The Istana Balai Besar is not open to the public. However, visitors who are eager to get a taste of the splendour of the palace can drop by at the workshop nearby that produced ‘bunga emas’.  Back in the olden days, the Kelantan Sultanate presented ‘bunga emas’ (golden flower) to the Burmese as a token of friendship.

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Kelantan Tourist Information Centre

The Kelantan Tourist Information Centre is located at Jalan Sultan Ibrahim, about a 15-minute walk from the Istana Balai Besar.  It was set up with the main purpose to disseminate information about Kelantan and its attractions to both local and international tourists. 

The centre also promotes domestic tourism and provides professional advice to tourists on places of interest, products, accommodation and anything under the sun that is related to the tourism industry in Kelantan.

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Padang Merdeka

Padang Merdeka was an open area that became well known after the completion of the Istana Balai Besar in 1844. It was known as Padang Kelupang at that time and was the venue of Kota Bharu’s market for fresh produce. Prior to the setting up of this market, the people there used to buy and sell their fresh produce at a floating market.

The field was renamed Padang Bank when the Sultan started a mint and bank at the site in 1906.  The building that was used as the mint still stands at the entrance of the Istana Balai Besar.

In 1915, a corpse believed to belong to the legendary Tok Janggut was found hung upside-down at the field.  Tok Janggut fought against the British in Pasir Puteh.

The field was renamed again in 1957.  This time, it is known as Padang Merdeka, in conjunction with the declaration of independence on August 31, 1957.

Today, Padang Merdeka is the venue for the annual parade of the Malay Royal Regiment, in conjunction with the annual celebration of the Sultan’s birthday. There is an obelisk that commemorates those who perished in World War 1.

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Menara Jam Tambatan Diraja

In the olden days, rivers and waterways were the main mode of transportation if someone had to go anywhere, especially to the interior. Hence there were many places along the rivers where people moor or dock their boats. The Tambatan Diraja or Royal Pier was built for the use of the royal family.

Today, this pier is a place where locals and tourists alike go to have a good view of the Kelantan River. During the monsoon season (mid-October till end-March), water in the river can be seen rising.  The local folks would flock to the pier to observe the swelling river. They believe that they can guess if there is going to be any incoming flood for the season by observing the water in the river.

There is a clock tower at this pier.  Hence it is named Menara Jam Tambatan Diraja. This clock tower is a prominent landmark in Kota Bharu. It is 150 feet tall and is opened to the public since November 2011.  Visitors to the tower has to pay a token fee to go up. However, they are rewarded with the scenic view of Kota Bharu from the top of the tower.

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Menara Jam Kota Bharu

There are three clock towers in Kota Bharu, namely the Menara Jam Tambatan Diraja, the Kota Bharu Clock Tower and the Big Clock Tower Roundabout.

The Menara Jam Kota Bharu or Kota Bharu Clock Tower is located at the corner of Pasar Besar Siti Khatijah and the Kota Bharu Trade Centre.  The clock tower was previously sited behind the Pasar Besar Siti Khatijah but was relocated to its present site.

It was a gift from the President of Rohm-Wako, a Japanese company operating in Kelantan. The clock tower was officially launched in 2005. The clock tower is also known as the Kota Bharu Kasaoka because of Kota Bharu’s twin city, Kasaoka in Okayama, Japan.

As for the Big Clock Tower Roundabout or Bulatan Jam Besar, it is officially known as Bulatan Tuan Padang and is sited within a roundabout. This clock tower was constructed in the 1970s and went through major renovation works in December 2008.

Being part of a roundabout, the clock tower is an iconic landmark in Kota Bharu. Nearby is another iconic structure.  It is a Quran on top of its stand or ‘rehal’, surrounded by water fountains. Date palm trees are planted within the vicinity to create an ‘Arabic’ ambience as Islam originated from there.

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Pasar Besar Siti Khatijah

The Pasar Besar Siti Khatijah is a market in Kota Bharu. It is named after Khadija, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad. She was a successful entrepreneur during her time. It is a suitable name for this market, which is predominantly managed by women traders.

The market was established in 1985 and was initially called Pasar Besar Buluh Kubu. It was renamed Pasar Besar Siti Khatijah in 1997.

It is a four-storey octagonal-shaped building. The fresh produce such as vegetables, chicken and fish are sold on the ground floor. Dry goods and food items as well as cooked food and snacks can be found on the first floor. The second and third floors are reserved for non-food items.

Pasar Besar Siti Khatijah is a rich palette of colours and sounds. It is indeed a very busy place where buyers and sellers can be seen bargaining for the best deal.

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