This was built during the premier tenure of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the 5th Malaysian Prime Minister, affectionately remembered as the most Islamic-concerned prime minister up to that point in time. Malaysia was also the Chairman of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) while under his governance and hence, this park just had to happen.
The miniatures:
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, Medina, Saudi Arabia
Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Palestine
Qolsharif Mosque, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia
Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Masjid Menara Kudus, Kudus, Indonesia
Great Mosque of Xi’an, Xi’an, China
Great Mosque of Samarra, Samarra, Iraq
Pattani Mosque, Pattani Province, Thailand
Al-Hambra Mosque, Granada, Spain
Aleppo Citadel, Aleppo, Syria
Sultan Mosque, Singapore
Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan
Silang the great garden of China
Kalyan Minaret, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
Once you get the passport, just hop on the mini train and they are frequent. Only 3-4 minutes tops for each one to come pick you up wherever you happen to be at. Everything was as how they should be up to the floating rock at the mini Dome of the Rock. You will be amazed.
The only thing that saddened me was that the paint on some of the monuments had started to fade. They should seriously tend to this before it gets worse. I am screaming as I say this.
Also, the video shows in the mini auditoriums were all in Malay but with English subtitles of course. With some careful revamping efforts, I’m sure they can come up with some multi language audios on free earphones. At least they should have one in Arabic because it is after all an Islamic attraction.
You get RM2 food voucher and another one for souvenirs. The chicken rice was quite expensive but I guess they’re not targeting the locals with that. Worth a try if you don’t mind trying a staple Malaysian delicacy right by the river, or rather, estuary and along with all the view. The ice kacang was delicious with ice-cream toppings.
I didn’t go to the crystal mosque however but I’m planning on going there the next time I’m in Terengganu. You don’t need to pay any entrance fee over there as it’s outside the park.
Opened in 2008, the Islamic Civilization Park (Taman Tamadun Islam) treats visitors to the perfect mix of education and entertainment. Five interactive monuments and 21 replicas of the world’s most iconic Islamic structures pay homage to the influence of this culture and its people all across the globe. From the Al-Hambra Citadel in Spain to the Taj Mahal in India, visitors can take an international tour without leaving Terengganu. The 23-hectares park also includes a beautiful Crystal Mosque, constructed with crystal shine glass and reflective steel panels. Though many of the international replicas are still under construction, visitors say this impressive mosque still makes the park worth a trip.
A collection of scaled-down copies of beautiful mosques from all around the world. We’re not muslim but enjoyed seeing the many influential buildings, especially the Dome of the Rock, which is the only one you can go inside and is beautiful. They were bigger than we thought. We had an enjoyable time and were glad we didn’t pay the extra for the train, as we enjoyed walking around each one, and many up stairs/ ramps that you need to ascend to really appreciate the model. They are quite close together and our party in our 50’s and 70’s managed the walk at a reasonably leisurely pace in less than 2 hours, though if you like to dawdle, you could easily spend 3 or more hours here. We just raced through the museums that are under some of the models, and didn’t watch any of the video displays which they will play if you ask. Hint: if you go during wet season, morning would probably be better- it didn’t rain until we’d finished, but it threatened to do so. At RM20 (adults) and RM15 (seniors) and no locals discount, it was a little more expensive than we’d thought, and we were disappointed that they have put so much effort into making this place and so little effort into maintaining it and keeping it clean. If they don’t improve the maintenance, this place is going to got to pot like so many other Malaysian beauties.
