Family Fun at Taman Tamadun Islam, Terengganu (a.k.a. the Islamic Civilization Park, Malaysia)

Review by Travels With My Girls

The Badshahi Mosque of Pakistan with Palestine's Dome of the Rock in the back at Taman Tamadun Islam Terengganu, Malaysia located on Pulau Wan Man Island in Kuala Terengganu

Our second time at the Taman Tamadun Islam in Kuala Terengganu, we managed to see all 22 monuments this time and truly enjoyed the tour, riding in the rented buggy driven by the park’s staff. The girls, especially Adra, actually enjoyed learning about old Islamic monuments and each featured country’s culture and history. And since some of these monuments no longer exist in their original form – some destroyed by war in the Middle East both in modern and olden times, visiting these structures here might be the only time you can pose with these architectural wonders.

Kudus Al Manar Mosque of Central Java, Indonesia (Scale 1:3)

Spread over 10 hectares of land, taking a trip around the park is like watching the progress of Islamic civilization over the course of history and marveling at the engineering and architectural wonders of a less modern time.

The Great Mosque of Samarra of Iraq (Scale 1:5.7) - Built in 850 and was once the largest mosque in the world, only this minaret is left now. The spiral is actually a ramp leading up to the muezin chamber

This interesting structure is a replica of the Agadez Grand Mosque in Niger (Scale 1:6) - not to be confused with neighbouring country Nigeria

The first time we came here, we thought buggy rental was too expensive and we could survive by just depending on the shuttle tram (which costs about RM5 per person). Plus, we didn’t think the park was that big. Surely we could see all on foot.

We conveniently forgot how hot the weather in Malaysia can be, though and was drained of sweat and energy halfway around the park. Yep, we didn’t manage to see all the monuments the first round.

The Suleyman Mosque of Turkey (Scale 1:11)

Thus, this time we closed one eye and rented the buggy with driver for RM48 to go around the park. This way, we also saved time, so we could do the whole park in just a bit more than 1 hour, as we didn’t stop at every monument, just the more significant ones, sometimes just taking pictures from the buggy. Of course, you’re free to tell the park staff to stop at which monument you’d like to spend more time at, or even all of them if you want to. Riding around in the buggy is a world of difference from going about on foot, shaded in the buggy from the rays of the sweltering sun.

Le buggy

A tour around the park is not limited to just photo-op moments at each monument, though. A few of the bigger monuments are also actual buildings that you can go into, some of them housing mini cinemas showing the history of the monument you’re currently at, such as at the Taj Mahal site, while some of them incorporating mini museums showing off historical artefacts of the time and place the monument was built. Or both, like at the Taj Mahal monument.

Posing in front of the Taj Mahal replica (Scale 1:10)

The replica of the Masjidil Haram in Makkah is one of the bigger, interactive monuments (Scale 1:85). You can go up to monument and look down into the inside of the mosque and see the black Kaabah, just like as seen on TV!

Such an inappropriate post when at the Masjidil Haram, Adra

At the Dome of The Rock (Qubbah As-Sakhrah), you could enter the “mosque” and see what it looks like inside, as if you were there (and have a height of 7 metres! LOL!).

Entering the Dome of the Rock of Palestine (Scale 1:4)

Inside the Dome of the Rock if you were 4 times bigger

The Kul Sharif Mosque of Kazan City, Russia (Scale 1:6)

The Mohammad Ali Mosque aka the Alabaster Mosque of Cairo, Egypt (Scale 1:8)

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque of Brunei (Scale 1:8.5)

Pretending we're in Singapore, in front of Sultan Mosque, which really is at the intersection of Arab Street and Muscat Street (Scale 1:7)

The beautiful Mausoleum of Abu Nasr Parsa of Balkh in Afghanistan (Scale: 1:45 - That's one big mausoleum!)

The Citadel of Aleppo, Syria (Scale 1:22) - now most of it destroyed in the civil war

The Alhambra of Grenada, Spain (Scale 1:8), which unfortunately was closed for repairs when we were there. The quad cycle in front of it is one of the vehicles you can rent for going around the park.

A water mill - an example of technology used during prosperous times in Islamic civilisation

This is just the toilet, guys

All in all, if you’re in Kuala Terengganu and in the mood to learn about Muslim history, head over to the Islamic Civilisation Park, or Taman Tamadun Islam as it is officially known as.

And after that, you can take a short walk along the pier to the wondrous Crystal Mosque, or Masjid Kristal, described by Google Maps as an “opulent mosque made of steel, glass and crystal with a huge chandelier, built on a manmade island.” Not a part of the Islamic Civilisation Park, it's in full scale size and people actually pray in it.

Activities, ticket prices and opening hours at Taman Tamadun Islam

Sightseeing facilities rental price list

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Travels With My Girls is a family that loves to travel and have fun staying at interesting hotels and checking out attractions and activities at the places they visit, both popular tourist spots and off-the-beaten path locations. Follow their travel and weekend adventures on Instagram to see where they're off to next!