Rain forest park, Denai Alam for A+R Associates

Zahir Mosque, Alor Setar, Kedah

Alor Setar, 15 Jan.-Masjid ini dibina pada tahun 1912 atas usaha YTM Tunku Mahmud Ibni Almarhum Sultan Tajuddin Mukarram Shah. Tapak masjid ini sebelum pembinaannya adalah tanah pusara wira-wira Kedah yang gugur semasa mempertahankan Kedah dari serangan Siam(1821). Rekabentuk masjid ini diilhamkan dari Masjid AZIZI di Bandar Langkat, Sumatera Utara. Masjid ini dihiasi dengan lima kubah utama sebagai simbol lima Rukun Islam.

Upacara perasmiannya dilakukan pada hari Jumaat, 15 Oktober 1915 oleh Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah. Tunku Mahmud telah membaca khutbah Jumaat sementara baginda Sultan Abdul Hamid Shah mengimamkan solat Jumaat. Di belakang Masjid Zahir, terdapat Kompleks Bangunan Mahkamah Syariah dan Pusat Pendidikan Asas Kanak-Kanak.

Masjid Zahir mempunyai keluasan tapak kira-kira 124,412 kaki persegi. Dewan tengahnya (Dewan Sembahyang) berukuran 62 x 62 kaki persegi dan dikelilingi oleh beranda berukuran 8 kaki lebar dengan 4 anjung yang setiap satunya terdapat sebuah kubah. Menara utamanya terletak di bahagian timur laut bangunan masjid itu.

Dato' Hj Wan shamsudin Mohd Yusof
Pakar Sejarah Kedah


Anyway these are among my early drawing while studyng in IIUM...sort of exercises lah.... and memang my favouritelah to draw monumental and historical building like this.....I like history.....

JAnnatul Ariff, Alhambra, Granada, Spain

GRANADA 09Jan-JANNATUL ARIFF or the Garden of the wise is an elevated garden placed far above that the atmosphere of sweet and cool could be enjoyed by everybody. The garden of Generalife (the spanish translation of JANNATUL ARIFF) was one and the same time a summer garden , and a working grunge which supplies provisions to the Moorish Royal House. The garden is carefully walled off from the dry desert of exterior environment to create a favourable microclimate not only for man but the nature as well. The garden is the cental attraction of an elongated courtyard and a long reflective pool at the center of it reflects the beautifully adorned building facade. The later addition of water spouts however has broken out the surface of the mirror but has provided the garden with a gentle soothing murmur, the most pleasant sound apart of silence to encourage meditative thought. Having a geometrical layout, the Jannah was once planted with trees and carefully selected bushes and flowers, leafy and fragrantly perfumed; thus protrays the true image of paradise on earth. This is the part of the Alhambra which best preserves the medieval garden of Alhambra.

PARTAL GARDEN_ALHAMBRA_GRANADA, sPAiN

GRANADA, 07 JAN-The open portico of the torres de las damas (Tower of the Ladies) overlooking a small esplanade containing a reflective pool (a pool concept originated from early Islamic Landscape architecture) is called a partal in Arabic. In its day, the area was surrounded elegant houses and mansions of the the elite Moors. This area can be considered as a their private garden. Small, stepped terraces, well adapted to uneven lie of the land from veritable hangings of flower beds. From the huge mirador of the Tower of two Ladies, one can enjoy a beautiful scenery of the albaicin beyond the river Darro, the orchards of Generalife and pool in which the garden and the building facade is reflected. While being in the garden itself, one will enjoy the beautiful screened vista through the opened arches of the building.

The garden of partal and the Tower of the Two Ladies, Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

London

LONDON, 4JAN-Please note that the original model is not mine...I just give an artistic touch to the model....

tEEN'S rOOM

sHEiKH'S hOUsE