3 museums/galleries you should visit in KL

Personally, I find museums interesting and I think museums are of great importance… That would be because museums contain artifacts and stories of previous civilizations, that enables us to envision life as it was before, whether religious, historical, artistic or cultural…

The exhibits tell us and the future generations stories about how our nation, our communities and our cultures came to be and without them, those stories could very well be forgotten…

Thanks to Tourism Bureau Kuala Lumpur, Tourism Malaysia Central Region and Gaya Travel, I was goven a chance to visit 3 interesting museums/ galleries in Kuala Lumpur….

The first was of course the mesmerising and beautiful Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia… This museum which is located in midst of the lush greenery of Perdana Botanical Gardens and within walking distance to the National Mosque was opened on 12 December 1998..

Due to the rising interest in Islamic art over the recent years, Kuala Lumpur became home to Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art..

The building itself is a work of art and occupies 30,000 square metres with a ceramic tapestry framing welcoming verses from the Qur’an at the iwan – styled entrance created by Iranian tile workers…

Turquoise-coloured domes on the museum’s roof make the building stand out and is now recognisable as a landmark on the Kuala Lumpur skyline….

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia houses more than twelve thousand artefacts, spread over the spacious galleries situated on the two upper floors, which covers twelve themes:
• Architecture
• Quran & Manuscripts
• India
• China
• Malay World
• Jewellery
• Textiles
• Arms and Armour
• Coins and Seals
• Metalwork
• Ceramics
• Living With Wood

Psst… You can even find artefacts belonging to Emperor Shah Jahan from India here…

The art objects on display range from the tiniest pieces of jewellery to one of the world’s largest scale models of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The aim is to create a collection that truly represents the Islamic world…

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia does now only concentrate on works from the heartlands of Persia and the Middle East, but also puts the emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast Asia are especially well represented. The third component of the Malaysian melting pot is India, which is also given special status. India, China and the Malay World are in an exceptional category. Other parts of the collection are displayed according to type rather than geographical origins in the museum’s 12 galleries.

Address – Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Jalan Lembah, Tasik Perdana, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Website – https://www.iamm.org.my/

The second place we visited was none other then our National Museum…

Opened in 1963, the museum is housed in a striking building incorporating traditional Malay and Minangkabau architectural features with two giant murals of Italian glass mosaic lining the front facade of the museum and portraying highlights from Malay history and culture….

The museum tells the story of Malaysia’s rich historical and cultural heritage with 4 galleries covering 2 floors…

The galleries are:
The first gallery is the Prehistoric Gallery which showcases historical researches and archaeological excavations….

Exhibits include Palaeolithic-era stone tools from 200,000 years ago, Neolithic pottery, a replica of Perak Man skeleton (reckoned to be 10-11,000 years old) as well as the various ways people used to be buried after dying and a seated Bodhisattva statue thought to be around a thousand years old.

The second gallery is The Malay Kingdoms Gallery that tells us the story of what happened with early settlements, the emergence of Malay kingdoms and sultanates, the coming of Islam and importance of Melaka as a trading centre..

The third gallery is the Colonial Era Gallery that covers the colonial era starting in 1511 with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, the British and Japanese occupation during World War Two….

The fourth gallery is the most boring gallery for me but nevertheless it is important in playing arole in Malaysian history – the Malaysia Today Gallery…. Which brings us up to date, from the times of the Malayan Emergency, the struggle for independence, the formation of Malaysia, the political system and the economic development of Malaysia…

Address – Jabatan Muzium Malaysia, Jln Damansara, Perdana Botanical Gardens, 50566 Kuala Lumpur
Website – http://www.muziumnegara.gov.my/

MinNature Malaysia is a miniature cultural heritage gallery that you can find showcasing the culture and heritage of Malaysia through a miniature wonderland. Think miniaturised iconic and heritage buildings and other mini replicas of tourist attractions spread across a 13,000 sq ft exhibition area…

It is very much the perfect place to soak in the culture and beautiful attractions of Malaysia

The person behind this amazing concept is founder Alvin Wan Cheng Huat who actually began working on his dream to create a miniature exhibition back in 2008. Years later and a whole lot of 3D printing and modeling from scratch, he turned his dream into a reality…

Step into the first gallery filled with Malaysia’s finest collection of miniature food displays you will ever come across. Delicately realistic renditions of Malaysia’s food / cuisine in forms of miniature.

You will not believe your eyes the realism of the miniatures we made from scratch. Walking through the “Taste of Malaysia” will definitely make you hungry. Be wary as your eyes are feasting, your mouth will also be watering

At the next gallery, you will come across 5 beautifully curated diorama displays, mounted inside an aquarium like casing, presents many unique scenes of Malaysia…. You are adviced to take your time studying the scene as the founders has cheekily Inserted at least 50 surprises or “easter eggs” of all sorts of genre like tv characters, monsters, superheroes etc that do.not belong there… . Have a close look and the surprise or “easter egg” will just reveal itself to you…

Basically, across the various displays, you will discover miniatures that showcase Malaysian food, snacks, fruits, and vegetables. Glass walls highlighting the lifestyles of Malaysian people in villages and in bustling cities. Beautiful limestone caves display bats, Buddhist temples, and human evolution figures.

There is also a series of miniatures that represent all Malaysian tribes… Don’t forget to watch the light shows at certain areas too.. It can be a truly enchanting experience while rediscovering our country’s culture and heritage….