Places of Interest

Johor's five national parks are a wonderful representation of the sheer bio-diversity that is the state's natural heritage : botanical and wildlife paradise of Endau Rompin, the mangrove island of Kukup, the "mother of all dead ends" wetland of Tanjung Piai, the mysterious and legendary Gunung Ledang, and the heavenly Mersing islands.

List of places:
Endau Rompin-Johor National Park: A Malaysian heritage
Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque
Johor Lama Fort, Johor
The Royal Mausoleum, Johor
Pulau Tinggi, Johor
Punggor Beach, Johor

Culture and Heritage

The Bugis who first set foot in Johor would be biggest influence especially on the side of politics. The Arabs strongly influenced the arts like the Zapin dance and Hamdolok theatre performances and musical instruments like gambus (Arab lute). Ghazal Johor a love song or poem is sung in Malay with instruments like the gambus, accordion, drum, etc, but its songs reflect much Hindustani and Persian influence. The Kuda Kepang dance, a legless horse-shaped puppet straddled by the performers is inspired by the Javanese.

The rich culture and heritage of Johor is also reflected in its traditional costumes. The baju kurung Teluk Belanga, widely recognised as Johor's traditional attire since the 19th Century is also known as Baju Kurung Johor. It comes in both male and female versions. The man's costume has three pockets while the lady's version has one medium-sized breast pocket on the left. Cekak Musang and Teluk Belanga are types of collar design of the male version. It is said that Teluk Belanga was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866 to reminisce the shift of Johor's capital from Teluk Belanga to Johor Bahru.

The Symbol of Johor State

The symbol of the Johor state. The crown at the middle of the 2 tigers signify the Ruler of the Johor state. The four stars at the corners of the white shield stand for the four original districts of the State, namely Johor Bahru, Muar, Batu Pahat Global history at the local level: Batu Pahat, 1900-1941 (Siri laporan) and Endau. The star and crescent at the centre of the white shield signify Islam. The two tigers rampant recall the period when wild beasts roamed the State. The floral decorations below the shield represent gambier and black pepper, the two original main products of the State. The State motto reads "In the Hands of Allah."

The Flag of Johor State

The flag of the Johor State. The White color crescent and a star of five points. The white color signify a sovereign, red color signify a warrior and the blue color signify the universe.

History

The word Johor: Webster's Timeline History, 1511 - 2007 is taken from the Arabic word, 'Jauhar', which literally means 'Precious Stones'. The name illustrates the influence of the early Arab traders who traded spices in Johor. The multifaceted culture and ethnic mix evident in Johor today can be traced back through the centuries when it was fought over by the Malays, Portuguese, Chinese, Dutch and British sometimes on grounds of religion but more often because of trade. View more