History of Istana Balai Besar at Kelantan

          Istana Balai Besar is one of the palace located in Kota Bharu Kelantan, on 1844 Sultan Muhammad II had moved Kelantan govermant center from Kota Saba to Kota Bharu during moving proses he order to build a palace for him to live. Istana Balai Besar had been a place for a few Sultan to live starting from sultan Muhammad II (1839 -1886),sultaan ahmad( 1886-1889), Sultan Muhammd III(1890-1891) Sultan Mansur (1891-1900) and Sultan Muhammad IV (1900-1920).

          Istana Balai Islam is the special palace for descendants of Sultan Kelantan and here all of the official occasion happened and here also all the tradisional way of governor from 1845 until now. The first official ceremony is to celebrate “surat sejabat or too ack knowledge from Raja Siam to Sultan Muhammd. 

This latter contain Tuan Manik Mulut Merah approval as Sultan Muhammad II by Raja Maha Besar Siam and also as Kelantan’s leader. Raja Siam also called Sultan Kelantan as “Pia Lecha Kelantan”.

          As this palace be a place to king of Kelantan lives, lot of renovation had occur at this palace. The part of renovation is at façade of Istana Balai Besar and at front hall which is when Sultan Muhammad IV and Sultan Ismail be a king. However this renovation did not affecting the original real unique designs.

          This two floor palace be a place to a few ceremony like coronation, ceremonial ceremony and more ceremony had been happen here. Here also be a place to keep a few thing about traditions of melayu. And new ceremony happen here is coronation of Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra as Sultan Kelantan and called as Sultan Muhmmad V on 13 September of 2010.

          Even though, now this palace is not a place to king live anymore after Sultan Muhammad IV, but this palace still be a place to do king ceremony and royal customs until now.

 

WRITTEN BY
ANIS