Kampong Glam

Kampong Glam  甘榜格南 is a neighbourhood in Singapore. It is located north of the Singapore River, in the planning area of Rochor.

The name of the area is thought to be derived from the cajeput tree, called "gelam" in Malay. "Kampong" (modern spelling "kampung") simply means "village".

Today, Kampong Glam still retains strong ties to the Native-Malay and Muslim community, and has sometimes been termed the "Muslim Quarter" due to its history. The Muslim population still remains a significant presence in Kampong Glam, especially in Bussorah Street. The area remains a centre for Muslim activities and the Sultan Mosque remains a major landmark and congregation point for Singapore Muslims.

Like Little India and Chinatown, Kampong Glam has been restored, refurbished and new life breathed into it, bringing back the former colour and vibrancy of the area. Rows of conserved shophouses can be found in Haji Lane, Arab Street, Baghdad Street and Bussorah Street. Many of these shophouses have new tenants such as design and IT firms, art galleries, crafts and curiosity shops, food caterers, cafes, bars and restaurants. They blend in with traditional businesses like textile and carpet shops, blacksmiths and shops selling religious items used by Muslims. It is also an area of good restaurants, from Malaysian coffee shops and bakeries to fine modern European dining, like Le Pont De Vie.

(wikipedia)

Arab Street 阿拉伯街 was the name of a road and neighbourhood in Singapore. There are two explanations behind the name. The first one is that the area was owned by an Arab merchant, Syed Ali bin Mohamed Al Junied and that it was the site of an Arab kampong, hence the name Arab Street. The Chinese referred the street as jiau a koi Javanese, in the view of the Javanese who used to be the majority inhabitants of the area. Spices, textiles, basketry items and songkoks are sold along this row of shophouses with five-foot way at Arab Street. In Tamil, Arab Street is known as pukadai sadkku (flower shops street), because of shops selling homegrown flowers, lime and other goods sold by Javanese women. In 1889, a huge fire occurred.

It is also tied to the preexisting situation at the time of the nation's founding by Sir Stamford Raffles. When Raffles was planning the outline of areas to be allocated for the government, as opposed to commercial and residential use, a community of Bugis seamen and merchants were already near the Sultan's palace. He therefore allocated the area to them, near where their boats were sheltered in the river, bringing their annual cargo to a barter basis. That is how the name Bugis Street came about. The Arabs and other Muslim traders (Chulias) were also allocated to areas near Kampong Glam.

Baghdad Street is a street in Kampong Glam, Singapore. Like nearby Arab Street, the name of the street reflects the Arabic influence in that area of Singapore. It is lined with traditional shophouses.

Haji Lane is in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood of Singapore. Young people frequent the shophouses along this lane for the independent fashion boutiques and Middle Eastern cafes.

Haji Lane got its name because of the businesses here. There were many Arab pilgrim-brokers who would arrange the haj for Muslims in Singapore and from the nearby islands such as Java.