Istana Sepachendera, Alor Setar

Istana Sepachendera, Alor Setar (14 November, 2015)


Istana Sepachendera (GPS: 6.12301, 100.36955) is the ruins of a palace in Alor Setar, Kedah. It is located behind Istana Kuning, within the grounds of Sekolah Menengah Islam Al-Haj, off Jalan Istana Lama. As such, it is not the usual tourist spot, and to visit it, you may need to seek the permission of the security guard at the pondok at the school gate.

Istana Sepachendera is also called Istana Kampung Baru, after the name of the village it is located. The village, however, is no longer around, as the surroundings have been redeveloped. It was built in 1882 by the Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, who reigned from 1881 to 1943, a year after he ascended the throne, as gift for his first wife, Che Sepachendera. (Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah is the father of Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was the ruler's youngest child (7th son/12th child) born to the Sultan's fourth wife Che Manjalara.)

Istana Sepachendera is three storeys tall, though some parts only two. It is symmetrical, with curved walls on both sides. Corinthian columns support arches on the porch, which has a grand staircase leading down to the left and to the right. The staircase goes right to the first floor. The windows comprises pairs of full-length shutters with jalousies on the upper part and panels on the bottom.

Several princes and princesses were born at Istana Sepachendera, beginning with His Royal Highness Tuanku Ibrahim, also known as Tuanku Sulung. The palace continued to be used as a royal residence after the demise of Che Sepachendera. However, in 1922, it was turned into a school, Sekolah Perempuan Kampung Baru, where girls were given lessons in English. That school operated until 1954, when it moved to Jalan Langgar, becoming Sekolah Menengah Sultanah Asma. The premises was then occupied by Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Halim a well as a branch of the Kedah State Education Department, before becoming the grounds of Sekolah Menengah Islam Al-Haj.

Today Istana Sepachendera is in a state of disrepair, with a fence around it. No restoration work is apparent.

Istana Sepachendera. (14 November, 2015)


Istana Sepachendera, as seen from the left. (14 November, 2015)


Istana Sepachendera, as seen from the right. (14 November, 2015)


Side view of Istana Sepachendera. (14 November, 2015)


The porch of Istana Sepachendera - I can't help seeing a mouth with a tongue coming out. Can you? (14 November, 2015)


Looking in through the archway on the ground floor of Istana Sepachendera. (14 November, 2015)


One final view of Istana Sepachendera. (14 November, 2015)


To my surprise, Istana Sepachendera has a letter box. I wonder who sends mails here. (14 November, 2015)

Istana Sepachendera is on the Map of Alor Setar

Back to Discover Alor Setar mainpage; list of Palaces in Alor Setar, Palaces in Kedah and Palaces in Malaysia

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