Heritage buildings in Penang
Acheen Street Mosque
Also known as Mesjid Melayu, the mosque was built on land donated by Syed Sheriff Tengku Syed Hussain Aidid an Arab merchant-prince who came
Heritage buildings in Penang
Acheen Street Mosque
Also known as Mesjid Melayu, the mosque was built on land donated by Syed Sheriff Tengku Syed Hussain Aidid an Arab merchant-prince who came from Acheh in Sumatra. The vernacular style mosque from 1808 remains basically unmodified except for the Moorish arcade added at the turn of the century.
The mosque features a small window halfway up the minaret, which is said to have originally been a hole made by a cannonball fired during the 1867 triad riots. The minaret was struck by lightning in 1997, and the mosque was recently restored with French technical assistance. The compound houses around the mosque are part of the mid-19th century Arab village. Click here for full story.
Cheong Fatt Tze
The breathtaking indigo of its exterior walls harmonizing perfectly with the cerulean blue of the sky behind it might seem to some to be 'feng shui perfection.' The observation is not far from the truth, because indeed many other feng shui symbols are to be found meticulously incorporated into the architecture of this courtyard mansion, if you know where to look.
Built by Cheong Fatt Tze in the 1880s, the stately mansion (located in present day Leith Street) was built by master craftsmen from China using building materials imported from the West. Tour guides will be pleased to tell you about the building's 38 rooms, five granite-paved courtyards, seven staircases and 220 windows.
The mansion fell from grace a few years after the passing of its owner and was for a while even used as a tenement house.It wasn't until 1990 when a group of heritage preservationists rushed to its rescue. Ten years later, restoration of the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion deservedly won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award 2000. Click here for full story.
This star-shaped fort was built at the site where Francis Light and his crew landed in 1786. Star-shaped forts were popular at the time especially for small scale works. The original purpose of the fort was to defend the harbour entrances. In 1977, the Malaysian Government listed the fort under the Antiquities Act 1976 for the purposes of conservation and preservation.
In March 2000, the Malaysian Government through the Department of Museums and Antiquity granted a total sum of RM1.9 million for the restoration project of the Fort Cornwallis. Restoration was completed in March 2001. Today, an open-air ampi theatre, history gallery and a handicraft and souvenir centre occupies the interior. Click here for full story.
Goddess of Mercy Temple
Also called the Kwan Yin Teng, it is one of the oldest Chinese temples in Penang. Built in 1801 by early immigrant settlers from China, the building is decorated with intricately crafted dragons and a pair of stone sculptured lions which are said to be its guardians. Undoubtedly the most popular Chinese temple in Penang, the Kuan Yin Teng, is flocked by pilgrims and followers all year round, particularly on the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month.
There is a lovely square where puppet shows and Chinese operas are staged on the Goddess of Mercy's feast days. The square is always a centre of bustling activity, and there is an octagonal well in one corner, which was once a public well for the Chinese community.
Kapitan Keling Mosque
Built in the early 19th century, it was named after the Indian Muslim merchant Caudeer Mohudeen, who was also the Kapitan Keling (headman). It is the most prominent historic mosque in Penang and features a dome-shaped minaret reflecting Moorish Islamic influence. The Kapitan Keling Mosque is the place of worship of the Indian Muslim community who have lived and worked around the mosque for over two hundred years.
Unlike modern mosques which are mainly frequented on Fridays, the Kapitan Keling Mosque is used by worshipers five times a day, seven days a week. Click here to for full story
Kek Lok Si Temple (Temple of Supreme Bliss)
This magnificent 110 year-old temple stands majestically on a 'feng-shui perfect' hill in Air Itam. Construction of the temple started in 1893, but it was only in 1930 that the Pagoda of Rama VI, named after the Thai king who laid the foundation stone, but better known as the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, was completed. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.
The latest addition to the temple complex is the 30.2 m bronze statue of the Avalokitesvara – Godd