Balai Besar, Royal ceremonial structure in Alor Setar, Malaysia

Balai Besar is a timber royal hall in Alor Setar, raised on 42 hardwood pillars, with walls, roof and floor all of wood. Its golden-coloured carvings are set off by Chinese mirrors fixed to the roof. It stands in the middle of the city, ringed by the Kedah Royal Museum, Balai Nobat, Balai Seni Negeri and Masjid Zahir.

Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Mu'adzam Shah II built the hall in 1735 for royal and state ceremonies. Bugis forces damaged it in 1770 and a Thai attack followed in 1821. Under Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah it was rebuilt in 1896, with works led by Muhammad bin Lebai Tambi of the Kedah Public Works Department, readying it for the 1904 weddings of five royal children.

Balai Besar was built to host the official ceremonies of the Kedah sultans, and two rulers were installed there: Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II in 1805 and Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah on 20 February 1959. The hall stands at the centre of Alor Setar among the Royal Kedah Museum, Balai Nobat, Balai Seni Negeri and Masjid Zahir.

Balai Besar sits in the middle of Alor Setar, ringed by the Kedah Royal Museum, the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Gallery, Balai Nobat, Balai Seni Negeri and Masjid Zahir, so the hall can be reached on foot from any of them. It is a ceremonial hall rather than a museum, so plan to see the carved timber exterior and the 42 pillars from the surrounding grounds.

The 1896 rebuilding was led by Muhammad bin Lebai Tambi, an architect from the Kedah Public Works Department, to ready the hall for the 1904 weddings of five royal princes and princesses. The 42 main pillars are of hardwood, and the roof carvings are gilded and set with mirrors from China.