Muscat Street in Kampong Glam

Muslim and Arabic names in this area reflect past ownership of the area by Arab traders.

Source: Singapore Street Names by Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeah, pg. 351

Muscat Street was named in 1909 after the capital of Oman. Muscat Street was jointly redeveloped in 2012 by Republic of Singapore and Sultanate of Oman. The arches reflect Kampong Glam's role as a hub for Arab traders during Republic of Singapore's early history. The murals symbolise the maritime and trade connection between Republic of Singapore and Sultanate of Oman which have continued to this day.

Source: Plaque at Muscat Street commemorating the reopening of the street on 8 Nov 2012.

Masjid Sultan, also known as Sultan Mosque, is an important focal point for Muslims in Singapore and most prominent landmark in Kampong Glam. Every year, during the fasting month of Ramadan, Muslim gather in the vicinity of the mosque to await the prayer call to break their fast.

Though the current building was constructed in the late 1920's, Masjid Sultan has a history that goes back to the early part of the 19th century. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles (1791-1826) signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein (1776-1835) and Temenggong Abdul Rahman (d.1825) allowing the British East India Company (EIC) to establish a trading post in Singapore.

In 1823, the Sultan wanted a mosque near his residence in Kampong Glam. Raffles made provision for the mosque to be built near the istana and allocated funds towards the contruction. The mosque, a brick structure with a tree-tier tiled roof, was constructed between 1824 and 1826, and served the community for a century. In 1879, Sultan Alauddin Alam Shah (d.1891), also known as Tunku Alam, who was Sultan Hussein's grandson, and a Tunku Aleema Gave more land to the mosque.

By early 1900s, the mosque had become inadequate for the Muslim population. In January 1924, it was decided that the mosque would be demolished and rebuilt. The present building, commissioned in 1924, was designed by Irish architect Denis Santry of Swan and MacLaren in the Indo-Saracenic style, with distinctive domes and minarets.

The mosque was built in phases over a few years so that the funds could be raised, and devotees could continue performing their prayers in the mosque. The cost of the rebuilding was funded with donations from the Muslim community, the community also donated glass bottles which were incorporated into the base of the dome.

When war broke out in Malaya in 1941, people of different ethnicities and creeds sought shelter at the mosque and one of its minarets served as an observation post to look out for enemy aircraft.

Masjid Sultan was gazetted as a national monument in 1975. The annex building, designed in a similar style to the mosque, was officially opened in 1993.

Source: National Heritage Board

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