The tomb of Mahsuri was built centuries after she was unjustly killed at Padang Mat Sirat, after which her body was said to have been unceremoniously thrown over a cliff somewhere on the island and never recovered. The location where the dastardly deed was carried out still exists today. It is right next to the traffic lights on the main road that runs through the town of Padang Mat Sirat. A huge concrete keris marks the actual spot next to an old tamarind tree. It is not the tamarind tree that many Langkawi folk say was among the mute witnesses of the execution. The real tree died ages ago.

However, the Mahsuri Memorial Complex in complex in Kampung Mawat, Ulu Melaka,  attempts to recreate and celebrate the life and times of Mahsuri. The place exhibits replicas of wooden houses that could have been in use during her days. The main house, built high on wooden stilts displays a small bedroom, an enclosed veranda with low windows and a spartan kitchen. A group of women living around today's Kampung Mawat would gather in the house during certain time of the week to perform traditional songs.

Also built within the complex is the sprawling replica of the the Balai Indera Makam Segara, which is the house in which Datuk Pekerma Jaya, who ordered the execution, used to live. Here, on the veranda, a group of youngsters would perform traditional music reminiscent of the bygone days using the gendang (drum) and the serunai (flute). Next is the Seri Tama, the house owned by Panglima Hitam, Datuk Pekerma Jaya's trusted henchman.

A replica of Mahsuri's house stands next to it. A row of animal enclosures keep some small mammals and birds found in Langkawi. Two traditional Malay warung (food stall) are available within the compound - one next to Seri Tama, facing the padi fields and the other near the animal cages. Mahsuri's well is located in front of the warung. A stand sells purified water from the well with printed claims of its curative properties.

The air conditioned Mek Mulung Theatre is where the tragedy of Mahsuri is regularly performed by the Kota Mahsuri Drama Group. The group has staged the play abroad, including in South Korea.

A circular grassy spot opposite the theatre is the Tomb of Mahsuri. It has been rebuilt from the earlier one constructed under the supervision of Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, who had served as the island's District Officer in 1936. The main building comprises the ticketing counter, souvenir shops and the Mahsuri Museum, which showcases many aspects of the legend.

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