Kedah’s pride and joy
From the majestic Masjid Zahir to other century-old mosques and madrasah around Kedah, Alan Teh Leam Seng basks in the State’s rich history and culture
MASJID Zahir, the grandest and one of the oldest mosques in Kedah that is located right in the heart of its capital, gets to be the world’s fourth most beautiful mosque for a lot of reasons.
The magnificent Alor Star landmark, in its present form, was built in 1912.
Although more than a century has passed, most of the original structure and design have successfully withstood the test of time and retained their allure.
Key to Masjid Zahir’s identity must surely be its five imposing black cupolas that symbolise the main Pillars of Islam.
The mosque stands out as an oasis of calm and tranquillity for motorists traversing the busy modern-day Alor Star thoroughfares bordering its vast compound.
Many will not help but gaze in awe and admiration at the breathtaking Moorishand Moghul-styled facade during their daily commute. I certainly am bedazzled!
Inside, visitors get to marvel at the various functional and practical designs from yesteryear. These include the natural ventilation allowances where the main doors and lower ground window openings are oriented at angles to welcome the cool breeze blowing in from nearby Sungai Anak Bukit.
The high ceilings in the prayer halls also ensure that members of the congregation are in constant comfort.
AN AMBITIOUS TASK
Prior to this grand mosque, a small wooden mosque stood on this sacred ground surrounded by the graves of royal family members and distinguished nobles.
A portion of the mausoleum also served as the resting place for gallant Kedah warriors who gave their lives defending Kota Kuala Kedah during the Siamese invasion in the 19th century.
Small in size and simple in nature, the old mosque faced major space constraints after experiencing a multi-fold increase in attendance when people of all corners of the state gathered in Alor Star to celebrate the royal wedding of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah’s five princes and princesses in 1904.
The glaring inadequacy prompted Tunku
Mahmud Ibni Almarhum Sultan Tajuddin Mukarram Shah, with the blessings of his elder brother, the Sultan, to initiate plans for a larger and better-equipped place of worship for Muslims in Alor Star.
Unfortunately, at the time, the state’s finances were tight. So Tunku Mahmud embarked on a series of fundraising efforts targeting zakat collections from wealthier Muslim families and nobles.
By the time sufficient money was collected some five years later, the 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty had been signed and Kedah was British.
The ambitious task of designing a landmark worthy of a state mosque fell onto the able hands of the State engineer, James Gorman.
Assisted by two capable Malay draftsmen, Pak Din and Ahmad Lebai Tambi, Gorman spared no effort in bringing to fruition a building that successfully reflected the state’s enduring culture, rich history and progressive development as well as bring pride to all Kedahans.
Drawing my attention to the absence of graves that once dotted the grounds, a mosque official tells me that Sultan Abdul Hamid, when he presided over Masjid Zahir’s opening ceremony in 1915, decreed that the compound be transformed into a lush garden complete with gushing fountains and flowing streams to maintain the sanctity of the place.
Today, this well-manicured compound provides a calming respite for city folk seeking refuge in its verdant oasis.
Towards the end of our conversation, my new-found friend begins rattling off names of several early Islamic religious buildings that are worth visiting, and my curiosity is piqued.
MASJID PENGKALAN KAKAP
Early the next morning, I head south to Merbok district, the central plains of Kedah where one of the oldest mosques in the state awaits. I am told it has successfully retained its original structure and design after more than two centuries.
Masjid Pengkalan Kakap’s unique architectural style sets it apart from Masjid Zahir. This mosque has no minarets and domes. Instead, this two-century-old mosque sports a two-tiered pyramidal tiled roof supported by numerous thick concrete pillars.
Surrounded by verdant padi fields and swaying clumps of coconut palms, the mosque’s importance cannot be overestimated. It provides a rare glimpse into mosque designs that predate British rule and their subsequent introduction of various Moorish and Moghul architectural styles commonly seen in colonial era buildings.
Upon close scrutiny, its design bears close resemblance to typical 7th century Arabian houses which were supported by large columns and surrounded with spacious courtyards.
Mosques built in this style are known as hypostyle mosques, a name that reflects their many columns.
In fact, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) home in Madinah, widely considered the first mosque in the world, was said to adopt this building technique.
Careful conservation began in 2004 with limited public access to ensure that this historic landmark remains intact for the next 200 years.
As a trade-off, Muslims living within the vicinity still get to congregate and perform their daily prayers at the nearby Masjid Abdul Rahman.
Contrary to popular belief, Masjid Abdul Rahman is not named after our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra AlHaj.
This much-newer mosque actually honours Tuan Guru Abdul Rahman Abdullah, a learned Islamic scholar who furthered his religious education in Makkah during the early part of the 20th century.
Upon his return, he played an active role in encouraging the development of more Islamic schools or madrasah throughout Kedah.
MADRASAH TOK JANGGUT
Madrasah were known to have existed soon after Islam arrived in Kedah with students hailing from as far away as Brunei, Pattani and Indonesia arriving by the scores to further their religious knowledge.
As such, these schools became cultural melting pots of Muslims from throughout the Nusantara as well as centres of social activities for the local Malay population.
One such Islamic school is Madrasah Tok Janggut, located in Langgar, a small town in the Kubang Pasu district.
The name Langgar is said to have been derived from the Persian term for place of learning.
Located some 8km from Alor Star and right next to the Kedah Royal Mausoleum, the settlement saw a proliferation of madrasah in the 19th century thanks to an age-old tradition where scholars were required to set up schools in their hometown upon completion of studies.
Founded by Tuan Haji Ahmat Tua more than a century ago, the madrasah today also serves as a surau for the local community.
Exploring this completely wooden building is like taking a walk back in time.
Its vernacular architecture highlights the use of the traditional Malay house as the main design backbone.
Made primarily of the prized tembusu hardwood, the windows and doors are intricately carved with eye-catching floral motifs as well as delicate calligraphy featuring the names of Prophet Muhammad and his descendant.
The aesthetic allure of this building also comes to the fore through the striking ventilation holes located above the doors and windows.
Made using the traditional Malay tebuk tembus and tebuk timbul wood carving techniques, these functional art forms reduce electricity consumption by keeping the building cool naturally and allowing sunlight to enter unobstructed.
Most carved motifs feature local flowers like bunga ketumbit, bunga china, bunga kesidang, bunga chempaka, bunga cengkih, bunga bercula kelopak lapan and bunga chinta mani.
With regards to functional space use, the rectangular-shaped dining area serves as the main prayer hall complete with a mihrab or niche for the imam while the place traditionally used as the kitchen doubles as the female praying area.
This fulfils the need for gender segregation as required under Islamic law. At the same time, the outdoor area or serambi acts as an additional praying area as well as place for social activities organised by the local community.
Venturing outdoors, all attention is drawn to the minaret which serves as a distinctive visual focal point that can be seen from afar.
Said to be a gift from the Sultan of Kedah, this three-tiered tower serves as a vantage point for the call to prayer.
In the past, it also doubled as a platform for announcing royal decrees to the people living in the vicinity.
Keen-eyed visitors will notice that the minaret is slightly tilted. The main culprit for this non-endangering flaw was the great flood that swept through large swathes of Kedah in 2005.
The inundation caused earth movements and weakened the minaret’s foundations.
Even though this visual effect is rather inconspicuous, it is enough for many to dub the minaret as the “Leaning Tower of Langgar”.
MASJID NAGORE
My journey comes full circle after returning to Alor Star to clap eyes on Masjid Nagore at Jalan Penjara Lama.
Built in 1881, it is the earliest existing Islamic religious building in the Kedah capital.
While much of the interior has been extensively renovated over the years with modern fittings, the building’s facade has remained largely unchanged.
Unlike most 19th century mosques in Kedah, where hardwood tended to predominate, this mosque was built with highquality stone masonry.
This building material, considered novel during its time, was introduced by skilled Indian Muslim builders who were brought in to build Kota Kuala Kedah in 1771.
Those craftsmen chose to remain in Alor Star after the completion of their task and were said to have played a role in the establishment of the Masjid Nagore we know today.
Uniquely devoid of minarets, loud speakers are placed at the four corners of the rectangle building to facilitate the muezzin’s call to prayer which can be heard all over town.
At the same time, the walls are distinctively embellished with the conjoined representation of the Islamic crescent and star iconographic symbol that gained prominence during the Ottoman Empire.
With members of the congregation consisting primarily of the sizeable local
Indian Muslim community, the strategically located Masjid Nagore sees extensive use throughout the week for prayers, religious studies as well as serves as a place for rest and reflection.