ORCHID GARDEN AND HIBISCUS GARDEN
Inside the Taman Tasik Perdana Park, there is an Orchid Garden where more than 800 species of these exotic flowers grow, including extremely rare specimens. Adult plants and seedlings can be purchased here. Nearby is the Hibiscus Garden, which contains more than 500 varieties of hibiscus in every color and shade.
NATIONAL MALAYSIAN MOSQUE MASJID NEGARA
For all Muslims in Kuala Lumpur, this mosque, located on Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, is the undisputed spiritual centre and symbol of Islam. The appearance of the building reveals traditional Islamic artistic traditions interpreted in a modern way. The main hall of the mosque seats 8 thousand people. The mosque is crowned with a ribbed star-shaped dome, the eighteen corners of which symbolize the 13 states of Malaysia and the “5 Pillars of Islam”. The mosque complex also includes a 73 m high minaret.
PETRONAS TOWERS
The iconic Petronas Twin Towers, built in 1998, are the Malaysian capital’s most famous landmark. This 88-story masterpiece of modern architecture is 452 m high, making it one of the tallest buildings in the world. At first, Petronas skyscrapers were inferior in height to the 443-meter Sears Tower in Chicago. However, ambitious Malaysian designers completed the construction of steel spiers 73.5 meters long, and Petronas Twin Towers broke the world record. The towers, shaped like two ears of corn, are connected by a “Sky Bridge” and rise in the very center of the city. Petronas is distinguished not only by its height, but also by the architectural complexity of its structure, as well as by its area – the area of all the premises of the towers is equal to 48 football fields.
The creators of the project decided to give the building a certain Islamic style. This was expressed in the form of the bases of the towers, forming an eight-pointed star from two squares. This star shape is an important Islamic principle of integrity, characterized by the concepts of unity, harmony, stability and rationality. Today, the Petronas Towers house a huge number of offices. One of the two towers is entirely occupied by the Petronas corporation of the same name; the other is leased. Tenants include such well-known companies as AlJazeera English, Microsoft, McKinsey, Boeing, IBM and others. In addition, the skyscrapers house an exhibition, concert and conference halls, an art gallery, a theater, restaurants and cafes, as well as the most important shopping center in Kuala Lumpur – KLCC.
The “Heavenly Bridge” between the towers (SkyBridge) is an observation deck located on the 41st floor, from which a stunning panorama of the city opens. It was opened to the public in May 2000. You can admire the views only during the daytime; since the site is open until 16:00, the number of free entrance tickets is limited. To become the lucky owner of a ticket, you need to come to Petronas early in the morning (from 8:30 every day, except Mondays).
BIRD PARK IN KUALA LUMPUR
Opposite the Orchid Garden is the Bird Park, opened in 1991 by Queen Tunku Bainun of Malaysia. The territory of the park (more than 3 hectares) is covered with a huge net, under which more than 3,000 birds from all over the world are collected. For each species, conditions have been created that are as close as possible to those in which the birds live in the wild. Here, you can see the famous hornbill from Sarawak and other rare feathered inhabitants of the jungle.
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE IN KUALA LUMPUR
Independence Square, or Merdeka Square, is a symbol of Malaysia’s independence, for it was here that in 1957, the national Malaysian flag flew into the sky on a 100-meter flagpole. In addition, this is the last place in the city where colonial buildings left over by the British have been preserved. All of them were created in the traditional Moorish style and designed by the architect A.C. Norman. These buildings are the Information Department, the City Council, and the General Post Office.
On the west side of the square is the former English club, the Royal Selangor Club, still in operation today, whose members are representative of British-educated Malays. Not far from the square is the Palace of Sultan Abdul Samad, which today houses the Supreme Court of Malaysia. The palace shares the general architectural style of the square; a very beautiful 40-meter clock tower, topped with a gilded dome, rises above the palace.
