Description of the attraction
The building of Sultan Abdul Samad is, in fact, a luxurious palace, the most recognizable building and the main decoration of Independence Square, the most visited attraction in Kuala Lumpur.
The ruler of the province of Selangor, Sultan Abdul Samad, laid the foundations of the state in the 18th century. He owns the historic decision to give Malaysia a British protectorate in order to preserve the state in the conditions of an ongoing civil war and attacks from the sea by pirates of neighboring countries. For a technically backward country, this served as the basis for development in all areas, including urban planning.
The majestic building was built for three years according to the project of A. Normann, the author of many of the original buildings of the Malaysian capital. The appearance of the palace combined two completely different architectural styles - Victorian and Moorish. English monumentality combined with oriental luxury made the building unique. And the forty-meter clock tower in its center is called the Malaysian Big Ben. At the end of the 19th century, the palace with a facade length of 137 meters was considered the largest brick building in Kuala Lumpur. And its side turrets-minarets with external spiral staircases, copper domes, horseshoe-shaped arches, lace decorative elements gave it the charm of a palace from oriental fairy tales.
The construction was completed in 1897. The palace was named after Sultan Abdul Samad, but it housed the British colonial administration. Later, the Malaysian judiciary was located here - the federal court, the appellate court and the supreme. Now this cultural landmark is rightfully located the Ministry of Culture.
The palace is significant for the country not only for its unique beauty. It was here that on August 31, 1957, the flag of Great Britain was lowered and the independence of Malaysia was proclaimed. On this day, the Independence Day is celebrated annually in front of the palace, which is called the National Day in the country. New Year's events are also held here.
Visitors to the capital are especially delighted by visiting this place at dusk. In the evening, lighting around the perimeter turns on, which increases its resemblance to a fairytale palace.
