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Situated in central Alor Sertar, Kedah, Malaysia, the beautifulZahir Mosque stands. Being the state mosque of Kedah, it is used primarily by local Muslims and is the venue for the annual Qur’an reading competition. Known as one of the grandest and oldest mosques in Malaysia, the Zahir Mosque has been voted as one of the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the world.

Built in 1912, the design was inspired by the vision of the late Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin II. The Zahir Mosques has 5 large, black domes which symbolizes the Five Pillars of Islam, and is also the burial site for the Kedah warriors who died while defending the state from the Siamese in 1821.