Now a museum, these connected structures with creaking wooden floorboards formerly served as the royal palace for the sultan and other members of the family from 1856. Among the royal paraphernalia on display is memorabilia from the historic joint wedding in 1904 of the five children (two princes and three princesses) of the 26th sultan of Kedah – the festivities lasted 90 days.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Muzium Kota Kayang
25.22 MILES
Around 7km southwest of Kangar, the small but impressive Muzium Kota Kayang houses displays on local history, including neolithic tools, royal regalia and…
Muzium Padi
5.7 MILES
Muzium Padi is all about Kedah’s main crop: rice. It’s located 10km northwest of Alor Setar amid green rice paddies; a taxi costs RM25. The complex, which…
Kota Kuala Kedah
5.5 MILES
This fort, completed in 1780, is opposite Kuala Kedah town on the far bank of Sungai Kedah, a 10-minute taxi ride from the ferry terminal. It was once…
Masjid Zahir
0.15 MILES
The Kedah state mosque instantly impresses with its richly decorated arches and five broad domes, which represent the pillars of Islam. Built in 1912,…
Menara Alor Setar
0.4 MILES
If the Petronas Towers in KL isn't enough for you, the second-tallest tower in the country is Menara Alor Setar, which at 165.5m is by far the tallest…
Mahathir’s Birthplace
0.44 MILES
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s seventh and longest-serving prime minister, was born the youngest of nine children in Alor Setar in 1925. Rumah Kelahiran…
Wat Nikrodharam
0.6 MILES
Although Alor Setar has weathered periods of Thai rule over the years, its main Buddhist community is Chinese in heritage. Thus the presence of this cross…
Balai Nobat
0.16 MILES
Built in 1906, this is a striking octagonal tower topped by an onion-shaped dome. It’s the repository of the nobat (royal orchestra), principally composed…
Nearby Kedah attractions
1. State Art Gallery
0.05 MILES
Closed for renovation when we stopped by, on previous visits, the elegant structure of this gallery, built in 1893 as a courthouse, was enough of a reason…
2. Balai Besar
0.06 MILES
This open-sided structure was built in 1896 and is still used by the sultan of Kedah for royal and state ceremonies, though it is not open to the public…
3. Masjid Zahir
0.15 MILES
The Kedah state mosque instantly impresses with its richly decorated arches and five broad domes, which represent the pillars of Islam. Built in 1912,…
4. Balai Nobat
0.16 MILES
Built in 1906, this is a striking octagonal tower topped by an onion-shaped dome. It’s the repository of the nobat (royal orchestra), principally composed…
5. Clock Tower
0.16 MILES
This clock tower was erected in the early 1900s so that the muezzin at the neighbouring mosque would know when to call the faithful to prayer.
6. Galeri Sultan Abdul Halim
0.19 MILES
The former High Court, erected in 1922, is today a museum dedicated to Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, twice Malaysia’s head of state, the Yang Di Pertuan…
7. Menara Alor Setar
0.4 MILES
If the Petronas Towers in KL isn't enough for you, the second-tallest tower in the country is Menara Alor Setar, which at 165.5m is by far the tallest…
8. Mahathir’s Birthplace
0.44 MILES
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s seventh and longest-serving prime minister, was born the youngest of nine children in Alor Setar in 1925. Rumah Kelahiran…