THE massive golden dome, shimmering brightly in the morning sun, comes into full view as soon as I walk past the dense bamboo grove.
Over the years, I’ve watched documentaries about this fabled Islamic shrine and find it difficult to believe that it’s standing right in front of me now.
After a pause to soak in the magnificence of the structure, I make my way towards the Dome of the Rock which is home to one of the oldest extant works of Islamic architecture.
Although the external appearance of this famous Unesco World Heritage Site has significantly changed over the years, notably with the addition of the gold-plated roof from 1959 to 1961, and again in 1993, the fact remains that this site’s great significance to Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) Night Journey.
Stepping inside, I’m immediately captivated by the intricate designs and mosaics which are said to be patterned after Byzantine churches and palaces located around Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Suddenly, my heart skips a beat. There, right at the centre of the vast hall and directly below the great dome is the sacred rock, the very place where Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is believed to have ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel.
THE ISLAMIC WORLD — IN ONE PLACE
The Islamic Civilisation Park is the first edutainment theme park in the world to feature scaled-down replicas of 22 famous monuments found throughout the Islamic world.
Declared open on Feb 2, 2008 by the-then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, this 23-hectare park located on Pulau Wan Man is just minutes away from the nearby Kuala Terengganu city centre.
My quest to learn more about Islamic culture began an hour earlier, after I purchased my RM22.90 adult ticket at the entrance.
Although strongly recommended by the counter staff, I decided against buying the RM5.50 train ticket after learning that it only stops at several selected monuments instead of all of them.
I set off using the map on the brochure as guide, determined to visit every single monument before leaving. After all, this place presents the best opportunity for visitors to see nearly all the great Islamic landmarks in one place.
Some may say that these buildings are merely scaled-down models but to me, the builders have remained true to the actual buildings and have done an extremely good job, right down to the intricate details. Best of all, they’re right here in the country.
The first five monuments are reserved for those found in Southeast Asia. Starting with our very own Masjid Negara, the trail leads on to the other mosques found in Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Among these, Masjid Menara from Indonesia’s Kudus region in Java warrants a closer inspection. Its eye-catching tower, which is the earliest example of a Javanese minaret, is remarkable in that it successfully synchronises the Hindu-Javanese style with its Islamic function.
This place is so important to the traditional Javanese Muslims that they believe that seven pilgrimages here during the Gerebed Besar festival is equivalent to one made to Mecca in the Holy Land. It’s also interesting to note that Kudus, which means “holy” in Arabic, is the only place in the entire Indonesian archipelago that has a Middle Eastern name.
The path next leads to two interesting monuments from the Indian subcontinent. Just like Masjid Negara, the Taj Mahal is one of only five interactive monuments found in this park. Interactive monuments are unique as they’re built on a larger scale than the rest.
This not only allows visitors to enter their interior but also enables the structure’s historical elements to be effectively presented in the form of video displays and educational games like treasure hunts and quizzes. The wealth of information provided is useful in helping visitors better understand the reasons why these monu¬ments are considered important Islamic landmarks.
FEATS AND MARVELS
Before heading off to the section which is home to landmarks from the Middle East, I decide to take a breather by a large water wheel and, at the same time, enjoy sweeping views of the scenic Terengganu River.
While relishing a late breakfast comprising keropok lekor and sata ikan bought while on the way here, my thoughts drift to the moving contraption nearby and its continuous gentle water cascade.
It reminds me of how the ancient Islamic engineers managed to ingeniously harness the power of moving water and successfully convert it to other more useful forms of energy.
Some builders in 10th century Iraq improved on this method by mounting water wheels on the sides of ships moored in midstream where the currents were substantially stronger. This technique, employed along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, managed to produce 10 tons of flour from corn daily for the granary in Baghdad.
The Islamic Civilisation Park, which plans to hold its 10th anniversary celebrations from Oct 25 to 27 this year, has a sizeable number of monuments representing those found in the Middle East. The spiral minaret belonging to the Great Mosque of Samarra is a very striking feature that’s hard to miss. The mosque, built in the 9th century, was commissioned by Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutawakkil who ruled Samarra from 847 until 861.
Constructed of bricks and clay, it was the largest mosque in the world when it was completed. It was said that the Caliph rode a white Egyptian donkey each time he ascended the external stairway to the muezzin’s chamber at the pinnacle of the tower.
The loud chirping of birds nearby draws my attention to a grove of fruiting date trees located near the Shrine of Abu Nasr Parsa. These trees give the surrounding area a Middle Eastern feel. Like me, I’m sure many visitors will be surprised to see these fruits, which are a common staple during the fasting month of Ramadan, growing so well here.
As soon as my feathered friends depart after having their fill of the fruits, I shift my attention back to the mausoleum dedicated to eminent theologian Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa.
Built in the late Timurid architectural style, this octagonal building topped with fluted dome has its entire exterior clad in brilliant blue-tile mosaic, almost matching the azure Kuala Terengganu sky above.
Acutely aware that my time to leave is fast closing in on me, I quicken my steps and head off towards the remaining monuments clustered near the exit area, which are generalised under the category, Rest of the World. The countries represented in this sector are Russia, Niger, Uzbekistan, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and China.
MORE INTRIGUING SPLENDOURS
As I’m about to walk across the path in front of me, I hear a loud rumbling sound approaching.
Fortunately, I manage to stop in time for the train, filled with excited children and their parents, to drift past safely.
Suddenly, without any warning, the children start gesturing towards a building nearby while shouting at the top of their lungs, “Disneyland! Disneyland!” Puzzled, I turn towards the direction but my view is temporarily blocked by the moving carriages.
A few minutes later, everything becomes clear. The Kul Shariff Mosque from the Kazan Kremlin region, with its blue tipped spires and dome, does bear an uncanny resemblance to the iconic symbol of the Walt Disney Company’s magical Sleeping Beauty Castle. The similarity, however, stops there.
After going through the information on a nearby board, I soon realise that this religious site hides a gruesome past behind its pretty facade.
The original mosque, built some time in the 16th century, was named after Kul Shariff who was a respected religious leader there.
In the summer of 1552, Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible went on a quest to spread the Christian Orthodox religion. In order to extinguish the Islamic faith, he ordered the death of all Muslims and the total destruction of their mosques in the Kazan region.
Kul Shariff and all his students were killed when they tried to protect the mosque and their school which was located nearby. In the aftermath, the Russian soldiers demolished all the public buildings in Kazan and sacked their treasury of its riches.
There are no records which offer any details on how the original mosque looks like. However, it’s believed that it bore elements of early Renaissance and Ottoman architecture which featured minarets, both in the form of cupolas and tents.
The mosque was only rebuilt some 4½ centuries later with funds contributed by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. This new and rather modern looking mosque was officially declared open on July 24, 2005.
Walking along, I eventually see a strange pagoda-like structure. Curious, I make a beeline for it and duly learn that the Chinese-styled monument is a replica of the minaret from the Great Mosque of Xian, the largest among the early mosques in China and also the best preserved.
This mosque is said to have been built by the renowned Muslim voyager, Admiral Zheng He during the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty. Further additions to this sprawling mosque complex were made during the Qing dynasty.
I like the way this mosque successfully combines traditional Chinese architectural form with Islamic functionality. While traditional Chinese buildings all align along a north-south axis in accordance with feng shui, the Great Mosque of Xian is directed west towards Mecca in the Holy Land.
Calligraphy in both Chinese and Arabic writing appears throughout the mosque complex, sometimes exhibiting a fusion of styles called Sini, which refers to Arabic text written in Chinese-influenced script.
In 1988, the mosque was declared a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level by the Chinese authorities. Today, this mosque, which is located near a section of the Great Wall of China, is still used as a place of worship by Chinese Muslims, primarily those of the Hui descent.
My visit ends exactly when my stomach starts to rumble, accurately announcing that lunch time is just around the corner. The past 2½ hours have been nothing short of amazing. The time spent, and knowledge acquired here, have opened my eyes to the greatness of the Islamic civilisation as well as the trials and tribulations faced by Muslims throughout the ages.
Hopefully, places like this Islamic Civilisation Park in Kuala Terengganu will be able to help promote a better understanding of the Islamic faith among the people of this world.
CIVILISATION PARK
Pulau Wan Man, Losong Panglima Perang, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman
TEL: 09-6278 888
Details at www.tti.com.my