On last year’s Eid trip to Terengganu (6th Sepember 2011), my family and I visited a 19th-century fort in Kuala Terengganu called the Bukit Puteri Fortress.
- The Bukit Puteri…
- The description of the Bukit Puteri
- Climbing up the stairs towards the top…
Bukit Puteri is a 200m-high hill with good views of the city.
- The view of the port from above…
- The view from above…
Some of the cannons were still standing there. They were also once used to signal the time to break the fast during the month of Ramadhan.
- The river…
One of the cannon’s name is ‘Meriam beranak’ (The Cannon That Give Birth) because it have a baby cannon beside it.
- The description of the ‘Meriam Beranak’
- The ‘Meriam Beranak’
I also saw a ‘Genta’ (bell). The Genta was used to alarm the people of any mishap or disaster like a person running amok, fire or the country under attack by the enemy.
- The ‘Pondok Genta’
- The description of the ‘Genta’
- The Genta
Then, we went to the Kubur Sted Yasin (Syed Yasin Graveyard). Here lies the body of Syed Yasin, a nobleman during the reign of Sultan Zainal Abidin I, and his family.
- The description of the Syed Yasin Graveyard.
- The Syed Yasin Graveyard.
We went to the fortress… Bukit Puteri Fortress was built by Tengku Umar on a small hill called Bukit Puteri to defend the town of Kuala Terengganu against Tengku Mansur in 1831, and against Sultan Muhammad I in 1839. The fortress was built out of bricks and a mixture of lime, fine salt, egg white and honey. During the first civil war of 1831, Tengku Mansur ousted Tengku Umar forcing him to flee, first to Besut and then to Daik. Tengku Mansur then ascended the throne as Sultan Mansur II. When Sultan Mansur II passed away, he was succeeded by the prince Tengku Muhammad as Sultan Muhammad I. In 1839, Tengku Umar returned to Kuala Terengganu to challenge Sultan Muhammad I for the throne. He defeated Sultan Muhammad I who retreated to Dungun. A few months later, Sultan Muhammad I staged an unsuccessful attempt to regain Kuala Terengganu.
- The Fortress ahead…
- The description of the Kubu Bukit Puteri
- There was a flagpole in the fortress, standing in front of the throne… It was very sad to see that the board had been scratched by someone…
- The throne…
- We can see the palace from the arrow-slit in the fortress…
- Another beautiful view from the arrow-slit…
- The post office from the arrow-slit…
Behind the throne, there were a gun powder hole…
- Looking into the Gun Powder Hole…
- The gun powder hole…
And a lighthouse. The lighthouse was made out of concrete and metal. It is 35 metres tall…
- The light house…
- The description of the lighthouse…
- Further description of the lighthouse…
- The ‘Bikon Bukit Puteri’…
I really enjoyed the trip to the Bukit Puteri. Especially when I can learn more about the history of Terengganu…
Aeshah Adlina's Weblog 