Mahsuri's Tomb and Museum, Langkawi

Mahsuri Tomb, Langkawi Overview

Mahsuri Tomb, located 12 km from Kuah town, is the tomb of the legendary Princess Mahsuri. Also called as the Makam Mahsuri, it is known for its beautiful architecture and peaceful gardens.

The legend of Mahsuri abounds about 200 years ago when a beautiful and charming village maiden named Mahsuri, who lived in Langkawi, was wrongfully executed to death on grounds of adultery. Mahsuri's Tomb entails a crypt of Princess Mahsuri, along with an outmoded Malay house with a diorama museum and a theatre and a handiworks shop at the monumental compound.

Legend of Mahsuri

It is to be believed that Mahsuri, who was a delightful young woman craved by many suitors, married the chief minister of the village. When her husband went away to defend the village from attackers, she was accused of adultery by a jealous member of the royal family for her alleged affair with a trader from another town whom she allowed to stay at her house.

Despite her vehement pleads of innocence, Mahsuri was convicted and stabbed to death by her own family’s keris (traditional Malay sword). It is to be believed that, Mahsuri bled white blood symbolizing her purity and innocence and with her dying breath laid a curse on the inhabitants of Langkawi to have no peace or prosperity on the island for the next seven generations.

Mahsuri’s Curse

Mahsuri was tried and sentenced to death by stabbing by the village elders, despite pleading innocence. With her dying breath, she laid a curse that the island of Langkawi shall not be at peace or prosper for the next seven generations. Soon after her execution, Langkawi Island was attacked by Siamese.

In order to protest, the inhabitants of Langkawi burst the rice fields and poisoned the wells of the village to impede the attackers, but all of these attempts fell in vain. Langkawi remained to be a barren piece of land for a long period of time until the 20th century. It is believed that the curse ended in 2000 when the Kedah government located the descendants of Mahsuri on an island of Phuket and invited them to Langkawi to make it their new home.

Mahsuri Museum

The structure of the Mahsuri Tomb is established as a cultural and historical compound consisting of the crypt of Mahsuri. The entrance is marked by a small lobby that leads to a ticket counter, followed by an indoor passage leading to a musical room that consists of a theatre and a diorama museum.

The museum keepsakes various pieces of jewelry of Mahsuri and the weapons used to execute her to death along with a section of souvenirs and gifts to take home. The theatre is an audio-visual room that narrates the story of Mahsuri in form of a video presentation, along with written narratives of the folklore of Mahsuri’s Legend.

The famous tomb of Mahsuri is secluded in a traditional Malay house, laid down in Muslim style – flat and plain white marble slab, fenced by a lawn. It is surrounded by a tomb garden with trees and benches scattered around the complex.

Need to Know

Photography is strictly prohibited in the audiovisual room of the museum.
If visiting the tomb on the weekend, the program of Malaysian ladies playing folk music on caklempong (traditional Malay instrument) is a must-watch.
There is a Photo Express Stall on the compund where one can get pictures clicked and printed within 5 minutes.

How to Reach Mahsuri Tomb

The site of Mahsuri Tomb is located about 17 kilometers from the International Airport of Langkawi at the Padang Matsirat on Jalan Makam Mahsuri (road). The tomb stands in the interiors of the village of Mawat in Langkawi, and hence, no public transport is available.

The tomb is also accessible through the Jalan Padang Matsirat Road, from where a right turn after the Tok Senik Resort directly leads to the complex. The road is marked with signposts in both Malay and English to guide the visitors.