Zahir Mosque

Masjid Zahir was completed in 1912 and is the state mosque of Kedah, standing on the royal square in Alor Setar with the palace and the state buildings around it. The design was taken from the Azizi mosque at Langkat in Sumatra and reads as Ottoman-influenced Moorish: a large central dome with four smaller ones on the corners, all in dark grey-black over white walls, with arcades and a minaret. It was built on the burial ground of Kedah warriors who died defending the state in the fighting of 1821, which is remembered in the mosque's own account of itself. It hosts the state Quran recitation competition each year. The square in front, Dataran Alor Setar, gives the standard view, and floodlighting at night is the other time people photograph it.

History

The design was inspired by the vision of Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin II, who drew on the Azizi Mosque of the Langkat Sultanate in North Sumatra, and the state's annual Quran-reading competition is held at the mosque (Wikipedia, Zahir Mosque).

Highlights

• Five black domes - a large central one with four on the corners.
• A royal square setting - the palace and state buildings around the compound.
• Graves of 1821 - the burial ground of Kedah defenders under the site.
• Arcaded courtyards - the open galleries around the prayer hall.

When to go

All year, outside prayer times; evening for the floodlighting. An hour.

Practical notes

Closed to visitors during prayers and around Friday midday. Robes and headscarves required and lent. Interior access is sometimes limited to the entrance.

Nearby

The Kedah royal museum, Balai Besar and the state art gallery are on the same square.

Key facts