Jalan Sultanah Zainab, Kota Bharu

Jalan Sultanah Zainab, Kota Bharu (29 April, 2017)

Jalan Sultanah Zainab is a major road in Kota Bharu. It can be considered as the main road through the town centre. It starts at a T-junction with Jalan Merbau in the north, and ends at the interchange with Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, from where the road continues as Jalan Kampung Sireh. In between, it forms junctions or intersections with Jalan Tok Semian, Jalan Tengku Puteri, Jalan Masjid, Jalan Tengku Seri Akar, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Tengku Besar, Jalan Hulu Kota, Jalan Tengku Chik, Jalan Buluh Kubu, Jalan Tok Hakim, Jalan Tengku Petra Semerak, Jalan Che Su, Jalan Gajah Mati, Lorong Minyak Gas, Jalan Zainal Abidin, Lorong Pak Nik Pa, Jalan Kubur Kuda, Lorong Sekolah Kampung Sireh and Jalan Hamzah Lama.

Although there as as many as three different persons by the name of Sultanah Zainab, the person who is honoured with the name of this road is believed to be Sultanah Zainab Tengku Zainal Abidin (1897-1985). She was born in 1897 as Her Highness Tengku Zainab Binti Tengku Zainal Abidin, whose father is the third son of the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad III, who reigned from 1890 to 1891.

Sultanah Zainab is the consort to His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim, who is a cousin. They have a son, Tengku Tan Sri Abdullah, and a daughter, Tengku Thuraya. Tengku Zainab became the Raja Perempuan of Kelantan in 1944, and took on the title of Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultanah Zainab, and was the Raja Perempuan for 16 years, until the demise of her husband, after which her stepson Tengku Yahya Petra became the Sultan of Kelantan, becoming Sultan Yahya Petra.

Sultanah Zainab is the aunt to Malaysian statesman Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah. She lived to see her grandson ascend the throne as Sultan Ismail Petra in 1979. She passed away in 1985 at the age of 88.