Site as big as KL’s golden triangle

Site as big as KL’s golden triangle

PETALING JAYA: The entire lost city of Kota Gelanggi is approximately the size of the golden triangle in Kuala Lumpur, according to Canberra-based independent researcher Raimy Che-Ross.

He said the estimate was based on the satellite images supplied by the Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing (Macres).

“I am now also able to confirm my original finding that the earthen walls form an almost perfect square trench embankment around the city, about the size of KL's golden triangle,” he said.

“At first, I was quite stunned when I realised how large the place was, and did not want to jump to any conclusions,” he added.

“Imagine trying to say that it is about the size of Bukit Bintang-KLCC and Jalan Raja Chulan area. But the latest satellite images have verified this scientifically,” he told The Star yesterday.

As such, he said, he decided to reveal the information now because of unforeseen circumstances and other factors.

He added that the tall and large embankments framing the entire city could be seen vividly from the images.

To imagine the size of the lost city, he said, one had to walk along Jalan Sultan Ismail from Lot 10 to Concorde Hotel, proceed along Jalan Ampang to KLCC and finally to Jalan Raja Chulan past KL Plaza, and then back to Lot 10.

He added that he was gathering research material from his library and study in Sydney and Canberra to prepare for two public lectures in Malaysia and his impending expedition with the authorities in mid-March.

Raimy had spent the last 12 years researching the lost city by studying old Malay manuscripts, aerial photographs and doing a preliminary ground search. His findings were published in the latest issue of Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 2004.