Kedah Sightseeing | Balai Besar (Royal Hall) | Alor Setar

Balai Besar ( Royal Hall )

Balai Besar ( Royal Hall) is located along Jalan Pekan Melayu in the heart of Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia.

It is one of the heritage and charm of Kedah state, where its original structure was built in 1735 by Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin Muazzam Syah(1710 - 1787), the founder of Alor Setar, who was also the 19th ruler of the Kedah Sultanate, as the Balai Rong Seri, or Grand Audience Hall .

The Balai Besar was destroyed and rebuilt twice during the period in the Bugis invasion in 1770, followed by Siamese invasion in 1821. It was during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, the 26th Sultan that the grand hall was completely revamped to its present look in 1893.

In 1896, the Balai Besar was refurbished by Kedah State Public Works Department under supervision of the Architect, Muhamad Bin Lebai Tambi from Penang, for the wedding ceremonies of the Sultan's five Princes and Princesses, held in 1904.

The Balai Besar was also the venue of the installation of a new sultan, namely Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II (1804-1845) and Tuanku Sultan Haji Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah on 20 February 1959.

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