Bank Kerapu

Kota Bharu


Built in 1912 for the Mercantile Bank of India, the Bank Kerapu building was the first stone structure built in Kelantan. During WWII it was the HQ of the Kempai Tai, Japan’s feared secret police. Today it is also known as the War Museum, thanks to its focus on the Japanese invasion and occupation of Malaya and the 1948 Emergency.

Exhibits mainly consist of old photography, rusty guns and other militaria.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kota Bharu attractions

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Muzium Islam occupies an old villa once known as Serambi Mekah (Verandah to Mecca) – a reference to its days as Kelantan’s first school of Islamic…

2. State Mosque

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The original wooden mosque built here in 1867 was replaced by the current masonry and concrete structure in 1922. It can accommodate over 2000 worshippers…

3. Istana Jahar

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Kota Bharu’s best museum focuses on Kelantanese ritual and crafts. It's housed in a beautiful chocolate-brown building that dates back to 1887 and is…

4. Istana Batu

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5. Kampung Kraftangan

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This handicraft market, a touristy affair opposite Istana Batu, has a one-room museum with displays of woodcarving, batik-making and other crafts.

6. Streetart Gallery

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This colourful display of street art covers several connecting back alleys between Jln Ismail and Jln Dato Pati. There are depictions of smiling locals at…

7. Muzium Negeri Kelanta

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8. Gelanggang Seni

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