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Johor Grand Palace

🇲🇾 Malaysia · 19th century

Johor Grand Palace in Malaysia
Photo: AngMoKio · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Istana Besar or Grand Palace is the royal palace of the Sultan of Johor and is located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Located in the city of Johor Bahru, the palace was built in 1866 during the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar. The palace overlooks the Straits of Johor and features Anglo-Malay architecture, characterised by its dome of Malay design with its blue roof of Anglo influence.

The Istana Besar is currently used only for investitures, state banquets and royal functions.

Within the Istana Besar is the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, which was renovated to become a museum in 1982 and officially opened in 1990. It is a living museum which houses a collection of royal heirlooms, artifacts and a record of the history of the state's royal family. The Royal Museum was closed to the public from January 2012.

Text adapted from “Istana Besar” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Johor Grand Palace ranks #3,526 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #7 of the 9 mapped in Malaysia. Founded 1866, it is older than 7% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 607 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,752 times in the last 60 days, more than 63% of the atlas. 3 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Malaysia compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗

Frequently asked questions

Where is Johor Grand Palace?

Johor Grand Palace stands in Malaysia, at 1.455°, 103.75636°.

When was Johor Grand Palace built?

The atlas dates its founding to 1866. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Johor Grand Palace?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #3,526 of 8,133 worldwide, and #7 in Malaysia. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Johor Grand Palace?

The Istana, about 19 km away.

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