Once upon a time, Perak was ruled by a sultan named Sultan Muzaffar Shah. He was searching for a place to establish his kingdom. He often traveled along Perak River with his delegation to find a fertile land. After being disappointed by so many
kuala (estuaries), he finally reached a small river. The clear and fresh water was flowing to the Perak River. After discussing with his men, he decided that he found the best place to settle.
Since it was the 99th kuala that the Sultan had set foot on, he decided to call the place 'Kuala Kurang Satu' (Less One Estuary), indicating that it is one less than the 100th find. The name then evolved to 'Kuala Kurang Sa' and eventually to Kuala Kangsar.
[1]
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| Kuala Kangsar, the royal town of Perak |
Located on the way to Royal Belum State Park from Ipoh, this royal town has its own allure as many legends of the state originates here. This is the land where the sultans call home.
Masjid Ubudiah
Listed in the Top 10 Most Beautiful Mosques in the World
Did you know that one of the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the WORLD is sitting right here in Malaysia in Kuala Kangsar?
[2] It has four golden minarets guarding the golden dome come together to create a spectacular majestic scene.
It is designed by A. B. Hubback, the British architect who designed the Perak Railway Station. Every part of the mosque is IMPORTED. The mosque was also once destroyed by elephants transporting the materials. Its Indo-Saracenic design inherits a blend of Indian and European influence. Thick slabs of marble in the mosque also provides a cool place of worship to royalties and their people.
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| Perak's royal mosque, Masid Ubudiah, also listed as the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the world |
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| A traditional Malay house in Perak just in the vicinity of the mosque |
Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery
The Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery was once a palace used as the residence of Perak Sultan Idris Shah 1. Now it is used to showcase the interesting life journey of Sultan Azlan Shah, the 9th King of Malaysia. Sultan Azlan Shah's life has a few outstanding and impressive moments that is worth the prestige and tribute he has garnered locally and abroad.
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| The beautiful palace |
He was a trained lawyer and studied in the United Kingdom. He did not rest on his laurels as a royalty and strived until he attained his position as Chief Justice of Malaysia. Although His Royal Highness was the sixth child, the crown fell to Sultan Azlan Shah as the Sultan of Perak in 1984. The gallery also displays the amazing vintage car collections of the ruler, extraordinary gifts that he received (one of them is the first ever earthquake detector) and the books that the Sultan's eyes captured.
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| At the graceful garden of the palace |
Istana Kenangan, The Perak Royal Museum
Not too far from the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery is the 'yellow palace' known as the Istana Kenangan. It was once a temporary residence of the royal family until the palace was completed. It was built in 1926 for Sultan Iskandar Shah by a Malay carpenter from Bukit Mertajam. The structure was built with
NO NAILS. Admire the intricate details of the yellow building which is also said to be very cooling due to marbles installed below the structure.
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| Istana Kenangan, built without a single nail |
Mariwasa, The Royal Medal Maker
Have you ever wondered how are Datukships conferred during royal ceremonies? Every title comes with a medal. The production of the medals involves more sweat and blood than you can ever imagine, making the medals hold equal worth with the titles themselves. Not only medals, royal equipment are also produced at Mariwasa.
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| Design draft of the palace's umbrella holder |
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| I don't mind jewelry in the form of medals hehe.. |
At Mariwasa, all medals are handcrafted and individually treated. It takes 6 years for an employee to master his skill before becoming a full fledged craftsman. The tour was an eye opener, beginning from the drafting stage to the final product. The process is a very tedious one and craftsmen have to be extremely detailed as Mariwasa takes pride in their human skills and lives up to their name as Perak's royal medal maker.
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| Official medals of all sorts |
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| Handcrafted |
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| Individually treated and handpainted |
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| Royal accessories produced at Mariwasa |
For visits and tours, do contact the following:
Mariwasa Kraftangan Sdn. Bhd.
Lot 522, Kawasan Perusahaan,
33000 Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
Tel: 05-7765888
[1] http://melayuonline.com/eng/culture/dig/1989/the-origin-of-kuala-kangsar
[2]https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/saudi-arabia/articles/the-worlds-10-most-beautiful-mosques/
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