Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah

Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah is the coastal road within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site that runs along The Esplanade and Fort Cornwallis. The two-way road stretches between the junction with Light Street to the west and the Light Street Roundabout to the east, forming a semi-rectangle.

Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah sign, George Town, Penang — A bilingual **Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah** road sign in front of **Fort Cornwallis**. This eastern stretch was once known as Fort Road.

The seafront road was initially two different roads - Fort Road and The Esplanade. Fort Road was the eastern half of Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah between the Light Street Roundabout and the northwestern corner of Fort Cornwallis, whereas The Esplanade was the western half of Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah stretching from the western end of Fort Cornwallis to the junction with Esplanade Road.

Both roads were renamed Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah in the 1970s, after the third Governor of Penang who served between 1969 and 1975. The road was also extended further west, joining Light Street just opposite the Supreme Court of Penang.

Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, George Town, Penang (2) — **Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah** (facing east towards **Fort Cornwallis**)

Etymology[]

In the past, there were two different roads along this stretch of the northern coast of George Town - Fort Road and The Esplanade. As their names implied, Fort Road and The Esplanade ran along Fort Cornwallis and The Esplanade respectively.

Fort Road stretched between the Light Street Roundabout to the east and the northwestern corner of Fort Cornwallis to the west, directly in front of Fort Cornwallis.

The Esplanade, meanwhile, continued from the northwestern corner of Fort Cornwallis to the junction with Esplanade Road, along the northern end of the Padang.

Seri Rambai cannon, Fort Cornwallis, George Town, Penang — The *Seri Rambai* cannon at the northwestern corner of **Fort Cornwallis** faces **Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah** and the sea.

The road bends right in front of the northwestern corner of Fort Cornwallis; this bend was called Fort Point.

Both roads were combined and renamed Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, after the third Governor of Penang, Tun Syed Sheh Al-Haj bin Syed Hassan Barakbah, who served between February 1969 and February 1975.

The former Esplanade stretch was also known as Kuan1'a1 Kak3 and Phak Kew Por in Penang Hokkien, meaning Checkpoint Corner and Playing Ball Field respectively.

Logan Memorial, Supreme Court of Penang, George Town — The **Logan Memorial** stands at the western junction between **Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah** and **Light Street**.

History[]

Fort Road was the road that stretched along the northern and eastern sides of Fort Cornwallis, while The Esplanade continued from the western end of Fort Road and ran along the northern end of the Padang. Both roads had been in existence by the end of the 19th. century.

Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, George Town, Penang — The **City Hall** is one of the most majestic landmarks along **Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah**.

In the 1970s, the roads were renamed Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, which was also extended west up to the junction with Light Street opposite the Supreme Court.