Kota Kuala Kedah was also known as Kota Kuala Bahang.

It is situated approximately 5 kilometres from the city of Alor Star. It is located on the opposite bank of the Kedah river mouth from the ferry jetty. Kota Kuala Kedah is now the remains of a fort, which for centuries had protected the Kuala Kedah Kingdom from naval attacks, standing firmly on the bank of Sungai Kedah (Kedah River). Its strategic location brought the attention of not only the region's powers at that time -Aceh, Siak, Bugis and Siam, but also from the foreign nations Holland, Portugal and England that were out for their share of the spice trade in Southeast Asia. The fort was originally constructed to provide protection against the Portuguese invaders. Initially it was built using clay, mangrove wood and bamboo. The fort had to also stand against the attacks from the Acheh people of Sumatra and the Bugis. This fort was initially built in 1611 but destroyed in the same year by Portuguese forces.The construction of the great arch of Kota Kuala Kedah and its rebuilding was started by Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah in 1771 and it was finally completed in 1780. The forts plans was drawn by Sheikh Abd Jalil Mufti and it includes a moat surrounding the fort and a double brick wall standing 1.8 metres apart, with the middle space fortified with packed earth. There is few buildings within the fort, including a royal audience hall. The entire fort area was built on an area of almost five acres. Architect Hafiz Sab led work to rebuild the fort and he had designed a fort at the original site. The walls of the forts were constructed from a mix of items sourced locally like the shells of cockles and snails, limestone apart from the egg white and honey of bees. The bricks used were of high quality and crafted by brick makers from

India while the soil taken was sourced from Alor Star. History has it that the stonemasons were specially brought in from India to rebuild the fort and durable British cannons were installed there, their names being the Badak Berendam (the Wallowing Rhinoceros) and the Katak Puru (the Toad) cannons. But during 1821, the town was captured by the Siamese and this lasted until 1842. There was no other battle fought after that at Kota Kuala Kedah after that. Today, Kota Kuala Kedah is popular for the variety of seafood served by the numerous restaurants in the fishing village. While enjoying the food, one will be able to see six cannons still resting on the crumbling walls, facing the river estuary. Kota Kuala Kedah was known as Kota Kuala Bahang a century ago. The head of the Kota Kuala Kedah History Complex, Md. Zokhi Tahir said the sturdiness of the Kuala Kedah fort can be seen and proven true till this day. Md. Zokhi also said that no other similar forts in the country can be seen still standing like the Kuala Muda fort. To retain the fort's structure, Md. Zokhi told that the Museum Department has decided to refurbish this old fort. Md. Zokhi also mentioned that the work involved the reconstruction of the fort's walls and its two arches. "The fort is rebuilt according to its original design and the materials used are also almost similar to the original," he further shared. The fort also housed interesting artefacts like porcelain and ceramic wares, cannons and their cannon balls. These artefacts are the proofs that Kota Kuala Kedah at one point in time was the centre for trade in the region, apart from a key defence point. In an effort to ensure the fort remains popular with tourists, the management of the Kota Kuala Kedah History Complex has arranged for guided tours

of the structure. They also provide information on the fort's history for the tourists.

To further beautify the fort and its surrounding areas, the complex's management has initiated the effort to construct a pedestrian mall along the riverbank of a nearby river apart from upgrading the fort's landscapes. Apart from appreciating the history, the visitors could also enjoy the scenery while taking a walk along Sungai Kedah. Facilities like public toilets, cafeteria, surau, business spaces and gift shops are available. The ferry jetty at Kota Kuala Kedah is the centre of activities. For those who have the time, an afternoon of leisurely exploration of Kuala Kedah and its surroundings is certainly not a bad idea. Sections of the fort's wall from different periods of reconstruction formed a jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing. A wooden building in the middle of the grassy courtyard used to be a school but now serves as an interpretative centre. The small exhibition inside sheds some light on the excavation work that had been carried out at the fort and offers some interesting bits of information. The lighthouse at the fort, for instance, was built in to resemble a chess castle. The lighthouse is still functioning and it is powered by solar energy. The sun rays here are pretty good; one will be lucky to spot a fair-sized monitor lizard sunbathing self-indulgently by the base of the lighthouse. As with most coastal towns, good seafood is available at Kuala Kedah. The set-up of the restaurants here is of a boardwalk leading to restaurant on stilts over water and mounts of garbage invisible at night. Tourists, whether foreign or local, flock to these establishments over the upmarket equivalent in Langkawi. A network of red-earth

roads wends through the countryside surrounding Kota Kuala Kedah. Clusters of village houses are erected amongst paddy fields and nipah palms are growing in swampy patches. Nipah fruits can be seen peeping through gaps between erect palm fronds. Beneath the thick husk, an edible flesh with a chewy texture is harvested which is often used as an ingredient in a popular Malaysian dessert called ais kacang or ABC. Nira nipah, the sap of the palm, is extracted by villagers and made into a refreshing local drink commonly sold from roadside stalls. One can also hope to stumble upon an irrigation canal filled with lotus bearing elegant white flowers. Before becoming a major transit point for Langkawi-bound tourists, Kota Kuala Kedah was home to a thriving fish industry and it still is, going strong in accordance to the states uprising path of progress and rapid development.

Nota: sila check nama pegawai/pengarah kompleks sejarah kola kedah di atas (Md Zokhi), dan tukaq pada yg terkini. sila baca dgn teliti sebelum present, familiarkan dgn perkataan2 dan frasa2 dlm teks ni. orait, good luck kepada hang, hiero dan semua ahli kumpulan hampa. assalamualaikum.