Istana Negara is the Royal Palace of Malaysia. Much like the Buckingham Palace, it is the royal residence of Malaysian Kings. The Istana Negara Palace in Kuala Lumpur, with its beautiful golden domes and Islamic themed architecture, is a major tourist attraction in Malaysia.
The Palace is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and attracts a lot of tourists every year. Although entry to the palace is restricted nonetheless, you can learn a lot about the Malay Royalty in the National Palace Museum, which used to be the former Royal Palace and you can also click some outstanding pictures of the palace from outside.
🤔 Are you wondering, what exactly is this Palace, Istana Negara about and Who lives here? Istana Negara means National Palace.
Istana Negara is the residence of the ruling Royal King of Malaysia.
Currently, Yang Di Pertuan Agong is the elected head of the country, and once in every five years a new King is selected from the nine existing Royal families of Malaysia and Istana Negara is where they come to live.
The palace is an essential landmark in the city and speaks a great deal of the Royal heritage of the country, and it is definitely a worth visiting site, especially if you want to know more about the country and its monarchy.
Earlier the Palace was situated in a hilltop overlooking the beautiful Klang River, and as of 2011, it has been relocated to the Jalan Duta in Kuala Lumpur.
Spread across a plush area of 97.65 hectares, with a beautiful architectural touch, this palace is an excellent place to capture some Instagram shots.
⏲️Timings: It remains open 24 hours, however, the Istana Negara is usually visited every day from 8 am to 5 pm. The Best Time to Visit is between 7-10am.
Istana Negara was built in the year 1928, which was then relocated in the year 2011 and in the year 2013, the ‘Big House’ was converted into a museum.
The palace was occupied by Japanese Governor in between the years 1942 to 1945 as Malaysia was under Japanese occupation during this time.
Later in 1957 it was renovated and turned into the residence of the Sultan, and since then it has served the purpose of the King’s residence in Malaysia.
The Palace has undergone many renovations throughout the year, and in the year 2011, it was finally relocated to the beautiful location in Jalan Duta.
Typical to the Islamic architecture, the palace has 22 golden domes of different sizes, which holds a beautiful visual appeal.
Inside the palace, there is a guardhouse with members belonging to the Royal Malay Regiment. The guards are stationed for safety purposes.
There are also two guard posts near the entrance, similar to that of Buckingham Palace in structure. Bordered on all sides by strong walls and fenced pillars, with the Malaysian coat of arms surrounding the palace, the palace simply exudes the Royal Persona.
The entire palace is divided into two wings. The East Wing and the West Wing, and you will see two wide cypresses lined driveways leading to the wings inside the palace grounds.
The Istana Negara is a two-winged building with an Eastern and a Western Wing. The East Wing is where all the ceremonial and official functions take place. It also serves the purpose of a banquet hall.
The East Wing is what we see in the telecasts and pictures most often.
The West Wing, on the other hand, includes the ‘Dewan Mengadap’ where all the esteemed guests of the King are received. The ‘Bilik Permaisuri’ is the room where the Queen receives are guests and holds her court.
The West Wing is essentially the place where the Royal Conferences take place.
The two storey museum will give you a thorough look into the private lives of Malaysian Kings and Queens and their court.
The museum building was originally built by a Chinese millionaire, and in the present day, it serves as a museum and opens to the general masses.
The interiors of the building are magnificent. Stepping into it, you will see the intricate architecture and beautiful crystal chandeliers hanging down from the ceilings, everything inside it simply screams Royalty.
The building has 22 rooms, which used to serve as offices, banquet halls and lounges for the guests.
There is a private wing as well, which used to be the residence of the Royals of the palace. The ‘Balairon Seri’ used to be the throne room and is intricately decorated in golden hues, the true color of Malaysian Royalty.
Exhibitions are also held in the museum from time to time with displays of many private Royal belongings.
If you are a history enthusiast, you can visit the museum during one of those exhibitions and get your fill of Royal history.
There are many information panels all throughout the museum as well, which gives you all the information of the Royal Institution of Malaysia.
Overall, the Royal Museum will give you a closer perspective into the Royal lives and quench your thirst for knowledge about the Royal life.
|
You can either book a taxi, or you can also take a bus.
The easiest route to reach Istana Negara is from Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur via taxi. You can book cabs by using mobile apps like Grab, and they will drop you off right at the palace entrance. You can also get a metered taxi as well.
You can also catch a bus to the Istana Negara and get down at Stop No. 13, which is where the National Palace is.
If you want to catch the changing guard ceremony in the palace, you can look up their website and see the timings and visit the palace around that time.
If you love Royal palaces and would love to know about the history and the Royal heritage of Malaysia, Istana Negara is your place to go. Visit the Royal Palace and appreciate the beautiful architecture of it and hop by the Royal Museum to get an insight into the Royal glitz and glamour.
All of us have heard about green tea and white tea. But, how many of…
Embarking on a solo trip to an exotic destination can be an exhilarating and life-changing…
When we are out and about trying to explore new places, the one thing that…
If you're looking for a delicious and comforting dish to enjoy during the colder months,…
Marmitako, a flavorful and hearty Spanish dish, is a culinary delight that originated in the…
Indulge in the rich flavors of a classic Italian dish with a twist Prosecco Risotto…
Leave a Comment