The Astana (
Malay: ''Astana Negeri Sarawak'') is a palace in
Kuching
Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of the state of Sar ...
,
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
, on the north bank of the
Sarawak River, opposite the Kuching Waterfront. It is the official residence of the
Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, the governor of Sarawak. The name is a variation of '
istana ''Istana'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning " palace".
Notable Istanas
*Istana Alam Shah, the official palace of the Sultan of Selangor
*Istana Besar, 19th- and early 20th-century residence of the Sultan of Johor
*Istana Bogor, one of the p ...
', meaning '
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
'.
It was built in 1870 by the second
White Rajah,
Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife,
Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.
The palace is not normally open to the public, although the landscaped gardens are, which can be reached by a boat ride across the Sarawak River. It is part of the Kuching Heritage Trail.
History
The Astana, then called
Government House, was built in 1870 by the second
White Rajah,
Charles Brooke, as a wedding gift to his wife,
Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.
The couple married at
Highworth,
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
on 28 October 1869 and she was raised to the title of
Ranee of Sarawak with the style of Her Highness upon their marriage. Ranee Margaret arrived in Sarawak in 1870, and the royal couple then occupied The Astana as their main home. She later reminisced about life in The Astana and colonial
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and e ...
in her memoir ''My Life in Sarawak'', which was published in 1913. Brooke is said to have cultivated
betel nut
The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel pla ...
in a small plantation behind the Astana, so that he could offer fresh betel nut to visiting
Dayak chiefs.
Architecture
The residence was originally three separate buildings, with each connected to the other by short and narrow passageways. The Astana has since undergone major renovations and alterations befitting it as the official residence of the governor of Sarawak.
See also
*
New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building
The New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building ( ms, Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak Baru) is the current state legislative complex of Sarawak, in Kuching, Malaysia. It houses the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, where state assem ...
*
Wisma Bapa Malaysia
Wisma Bapa Malaysia also known as Bangunan Tunku Abdul Rahman is the Sarawak state secretariat building housing various government departments, including the Premier's office. It is located in Petra Jaya, Kuching. Wisma Bapa Malaysia was designe ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Astana Sarawak
Tourist attractions in Kuching
Buildings and structures in Kuching
Palaces in Malaysia
Official residences of Malaysian state leaders
1870 establishments in Sarawak