The Masjid Zahir is a mosque in Alor Setar, Kota Setar, Kedah, Malaysia, and the state mosque of the state of Kedah. The Zahir Mosque is one of the grandest and oldest mosques in Malaysia, having been built in 1912. The Zahir Mosque has been voted as one of the top 10 most beautiful mosques in the world.
The mosque was built upon the tomb and grave of fallen Kedah warrior that die during Siamese invasion of Kedah.
The design was inspired by the vision of the late Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin II, who was in turn inspired by the Azizi Mosque of the Langkat Sultanate in North Sumatra. The state's annual Qurʾān-reading competition is held within the premises of the mosque. [source]