Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Memorial Batu Bersurat Terengganu, Kampong Buluh, Kuala Berang, Terengganu

Batu Bersurat Terengganu (Terengganu Inscribed Stone) is a stone that inscribed (in Malay, Sanskrit and Arabic script) on the proclamation of Islamic laws for the Sultan and the people of Terengganu in the 14th century. It was found in Kampong Buluh in Kuala Berang in 1902. The inscribed stone was interpreted by scholars that Islam came to Terengganu way back in 1303. 

The plaque at the Memorial

One of the plaques at the memorial: the translated inscribed on the stone.

In 1923, this stone was transferred to Raffles Museum in Singapore for exhibition and finally it was given back to Terengganu Museum in 1992 by National Museum of Malaysia as its final guardian. I do not know when this stone was taken over by National Museum of Malaysia from Singapore. Now this stone is displayed in Terengganu Museum. Its importance to history of Terengganu prompted the State of Terengganu to erect a Memorial  at Kampong Buluh, Kuala Berang in 1989.

The marble plaque that tells why this memorial was erected by the government and was launched in 1992.

The State government has also erected this big replica at the Ladang Roundabout in Kuala Terengganu. In 2009, this inscribed stone was recognised by UNESCO as The Memory of the World. It is a UNESCO's programme aiming at preservation and dissemination of valuable archive holdings and library collections worldwide.  With this Inscribed stone recognised as Memory of the World, Malaysia has three others i.e. correspondence of the late Sultan Kedah,1882-1943 (2001), Hikayat Hang Tuah (2001) and Sejarah Melayu (2001). Congratulation to Terengganu and Malaysia for Batu Bersurat was being recognised by the UNESCO. With this recognition, more visitors will be attracted to see this inscribed stone.

The Batu Bersurat (replica) at the roundabout Ladang, Kuala Terengganu.

If you want to see the place where this stone was found, you go to the Memorial Batu Bersurat at Kampong Buluh, 1.5 km from Kuala Berang town. To see the real stone, certainly, you have to go to Terengganu Museum in Losong, Kuala Terengganu. And if you want to take picture of this stone as background, you can go to Ladang roundabout. Happy travelling.

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