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The royal town of Sri
Menanti is located in the district of Kuala Pilah. It is the
final resting place of Raja Melewar, Negeri Sembilan's
first Ruler in 1773 and it has remained the seat of royalty
and the location of the Ruler's palace as well as the
Royal Mausoleum.
The main attractions
are the Sri Menanti
Old Palace (Istana Lama), which was built without a
single nail and has since become the Sri Menanti Royal Museum
in 1992, and the Istana Besar. The uniqueness in
Istana Lama is that it is made totally of wood
without any nails and it features ninety-nine
pillars to represent ninety-nine warriors of
different clans and it is decorated with
intricate wood carvings. It was completed after
six years or hard work in 1908 and it was
designed by two well known Malay carpenters
named Kahar and Taib. It was the former official
residence of the Yang Dipertuan Negeri, the
State Ruler but has since been moved to the
Istana Besar.
There is also a
cultural village, a handicraft centre and the mysterious
tomb of a scribe but the exhibitions on the State's
royal regalia remains as popular as ever.
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