Kelantan's Historical Attractions

Bank Kerapu
Bank Kerapu is located inside Kota Bahru where Bank Kerapu was built by the Mercantile Bank during the year 1912. The Bank Kerapu was the first stone edifice in Kelantan and it was built on a piece of land that was once belonged to a famous local chieftain known as Nik Yusoff Bin Nil Abdul Majid. During the period of Japanese occupation, Bank Kerapu who used to be a bank was being used by the Japanese armies as their secret station. Shortly after the war when British returned with their forces, the Bank Kerapu continued to serve as a bank until the year 1992 when the Kelantan State Museum Corporation turned Bank Kerapu into a war memorial. Today, there are more than 1000 exhibits which are related to the war where some of there exhibits include photos, articles and many war related artifats. One of the most popular exhibits here in the Bank Kerapu is a bicycle that was once used by the Japanese armies during the invasion.

Guillemard Railway Bridge
During the year 1920, the construction for the Guillemard Railway Bridge was initiated. After 4 years, this railway bridge which was named after the British Governor and High Commissioner for the Straits Settlement at that time was completed. However, unfortunately during the invasion of the Japanese armies, the Guillemard Railway Bridge was destroyed by the British Armed Forces in order to cripple the advancement of the Japanese forces. After the war on the year 1948, the Guillemard Railway Bridge was once again reconstructed and nowadays, this Guillemard Railway Bridge makes up part of the “jungle railway” and is mainly used by trains only.

Islamic Museum
The Islamic Museum is indeed an important historical architecture as the history of Islam in the Kelantan state can be traced back at this museum. During the early days, this two-storey traditional wooden house was once the first school of Islamic studies in Kelantan. Nowadays, the main purpose of this historical architecture is to serve as an Islamic museum displaying various Islamic fine arts, crafts and as well as various photographs of the belongings of Prophet Muhammad.

Muhammadi Mosque
The Muhammadi Mosque is located along the Jalan Sultanah Zainab in Kota Bahru. In the year 1922, HRH Sultan Ismail Ibni Sultan Muhammad IV started the reconstruction of this wooden mosque to the stone mosque we see today. All this while, the primary function of the Muhammadi Mosque was to spread the teachings and knowledge of Islam to all the believers in the region. Because of this reason, the Muhammadi Mosque became famous as a centre disseminating Islamic teachings and therefore, gained the title Serambi Mekah where in English literal means the Corridor of Mecca.

Istana Jahar
The Istana Jahar or the Jahar Palace was built in the year 1887 where it was a generous gift from Sultan Mahmud II to his grandson, Long Kundur. The architectural design of this palace clearly shows the excellent wood craftsmanship of the Kelantanese. In addition to that, the entire interior of this palace is very well decorated with carvings and various arts. Nowadays, the Istana Jahar serves as a museum known as the Museum of Royal Traditions and Customs where extensive collections of the state’s historical documentation, exotic artifacts, photographs and many other different exhibits are all displayed here.

Kelantan State Museum
Until the year 1990, before the conversion into the Kelantan State Museum, this building was once used as the premises of the Land Office during the colonial periods. Today, the Kelantan State Museum is the center of exhibition where a range of historical artifacts related to the state’s arts, crafts and musical traditions were displayed. In addition to these wonderful historical artifacts, the Kelantan State Museum also houses various artifacts which were excavated from local archeological sites such as the Nenggiri River.

Istana Balai Besar
The Istana Balai Besar is no doubt a historical architecture which was a work of grandeur. The Istana Balai Besar or also known as the Palace with Great Hall was in fact built in the year 1840 based on the orders of Sultan Mohamed II. Following the construction of this new palace, the older palace which was located along the Kelantan River was replaced. Shortly after the construction of the palace, the town where this palace is located was then renamed as Kota Bharu and later on, it is all history where Kota Bharu became the state capital of Kelantan. Even until today, the Istana Balai Besar still stands tall and moreover, it is surrounded by a fort which covers an area more than 1600 square meters. Nowadays, the main purpose of this palace is to house various official state functions and as well as royal events. Unfortunately, the Istana Balai Besar is restricted to most visitors.

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