Kota (fort of) Kuala Muda

Greetings dear readers... Pleased to inform you. I'm currenty in Teluk Intan, Perak after leaving Ipoh last evening. Let's get straight to the story... Continue from where we left off at the Penang part of Kuala Muda...

After spending the night at a surau (small praying hall) in the Penang part of Kota Kuala Muda, I decide to head for the Kedah part. The date was 17th December 2007. I managed to get a bus up to a junction (forgot the name) where a road leads to the bridge pass the Muda river.

I walked for almost 2km and was nearing the bridge when I saw a car which I feel could be hitchiked. And so, I was taken right up the main gate (what's left of it anyway as shown in the picture) of Kota (the fort of) Kuala Muda... If memory serves me right, this was the capital of Kedah in the 18 the century...

There, a inscription of the fort's history. Unfortunately the picture taken is not that clear. Never mind, perhaps you have better eyes than me and can read it better... Who knows?

A building housing some remains of the fort...

There, part of what remains of Kota Kuala Muda...

Afterwards, I decided to walk to Masjid Raja, literally translated as the mosque of the king... Within the modern town that now carries the name Kota Kuala Muda... After all, the original Kota Kuala Muda is already ruined but the area lives on...

The mosque seen from a different angle...

An old canon, perhaps more than 200 year-old within the compounds of the mosque...

The cemetery besides the mosque. The yellow colour used on tombstone normally denotes a person with royal blood... Just look at how packed the cemetery is...

There, 4 sets of tombstones within an area normally reserved for one body... Get the idea how packed this cemetery is?

After spending sometime at Masjid Raja, I decided to walk to Sungai Mas. I heard there are some archeological remains there, so let's just have a look...

Thank God I found it... And there were some university people (can't remember which university) doing some excavation works.

Just look at that... The area divided into grids so they can concentrate on any particular part.

I had a little chat with the supervisor there. He was surprised at the way I look at the excavation work... Apparently, he saw me 'talking and enquiring to the site' about its history... Hehe! I won't reveal this. Let's just say, I got my own idea of the place using 'unscientific' means...

At the time, I was also delibarating, whether I should go to the Kedah part of Kuala Muda (Kuala Muda and Kota Kuala Muda are too different places) and whether I should also visit places like Bukit Meriam which is associated with Kedah's early history. This wouldn't be so hard if I had transport but relying on buses with schedules not so regular while at some points you have to walk far to reach a place can be very tiring. And as it is I was very tired while these places lie far off the major route I intend to take next...

I was in the midst of having an interesting conversation with the supervisor who was starting to reveal his Bugis roots. Apparently, being a descendant of warriors of old he also understands some spiritual means and that is why he was positive, I was actually communicating with the remains at Sungai Mas. Then came the answer straight to my heart... Don't worry, just head straight for Sungai Petani. Immediately, there and then I told the supervisor, I've received my instruction. It's time to go and so I walked off...