From Mecca to Granada
Models of Islamic civilisation's great monuments.
Airil anuar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Airil anuar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Airil anuar — CC BY-SA 3.0
A one-of-a-kind park on Wan Man Island in the Terengganu River, opened in February 2008, gathering models of the most famous monuments of Islamic civilisation in one place, so that in two hours you move from Mecca and Medina to Jerusalem, Aleppo, Istanbul, Granada and Bukhara. Among the models: the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, the Citadel of Aleppo, the Süleymaniye Mosque of Istanbul, the Muhammad Ali Mosque of Cairo, the Alhambra of Granada, the Kalyan Minaret of Bukhara, the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque of Isfahan, the Qolsharif Mosque of Kazan and the Great Mosque of Xi'an, along with the Taj Mahal. The models are scaled down, with panels explaining each monument's history. The official ticket is about twenty-four ringgit for adults aged 13 to 59 and nineteen for children aged 7 to 12 and over-sixties, with under-sevens free; the price is the same for everyone. The park is closed on Tuesdays and opens roughly 10:00-18:00 on weekdays and 09:00-18:30 on holidays; on Fridays it closes for the midday prayer between 11:30 and 14:30. Most of the park is exposed to the sun, so late afternoon beats midday; then cross to the Crystal Mosque next door for sunset. It is excellent for families and children, a lively lesson in the history of Islamic civilisation.
Models of Islamic civilisation's great monuments.
Mecca, Medina and the Dome of the Rock.
Panels explaining each monument's history.
Wan Man Island, next to the Crystal Mosque
The models are scaled down and no substitute for the real thing, but seeing them together is fun, especially for children. With the Crystal Mosque next door at sunset, it makes a lovely half day.
