At the end of Kampong Gelam there stood 2 or 3 huts of the Sea Gypsies, the Orang Laut of the Gelam tribe, who spent their time making awning and sails from the bark of the gelam tree. For this was the reason the place was called Kampong Gelam,

If Colonel William Farquhar, who was the First Resident, had his way, Kampong Glam would have been a business district now instead of the domain of the forsaken royalty. This area, east of what was then an English settlement was instead relocated to Sultan Hussein Shah of Singapore, as Raffles wanted the town district to be south of the Singapore River.

The royal palace is not any city tour itinerary, nor can visitors walk through the place to admire its architecture as the Sultan’s descendants still live there and are paid by the government. The building is rather rundown. If you happen to be in the vicinity of the Sultan Gate however, it is difficult to miss the Istana Kampong Glam; the large mansion built in a Palladian style. The existing building was constructed sometime between 1836 and 1843 to replace the original wood and attap (coconut thatch) structure.

Granted a large tract of Kampong Glam, amounting up to 23 hectares, the Sultan built his Istana to accommodate his family and entourage he brought with him from Riau (part of Indonesia). However, in 1819 when Raffles revised his city plan, he decided to give the Arabs the land adjoining Kampong Glam.

In the book A History of Singapore 1819-1975, the author wrote that the Sultan gradually lost his respect among the people, so he moved to Malacca where he died in 1835. His son Ali returned to Singapore in the 1840s but was not recognised as the Sultan.

By mid-18^th century, Kampong Glam and its environment became home to the mixed community of Arabs, Bugis, Javanese, and Malays and some Chinese. By the turn of the century, there was also a sizeable community of Jawi-Peranakan, descendants of Indian Muslims. Kampong Glam also acquired a Bugis flavour from very early on.

Near the Istana Kampong Glam, the Sultan Mosque stands at the Sultan’s Road, which is a stone’s throw away. The Sultan Mosque is the one of the first mosque to be built in Singapore, in 1824. It is a sight tourist cannot miss. Majestic despite of its age, the mosque tells many stories. For example, when you arrive at the mosque, you will realise that the roof is made of glass bottles. The story goes that when the mosque was built, the rich gave money for building it while the poor gave bottles, which was used to build the roof.

When visiting the mosque, one cannot enter the main hall. One must observe the Muslim religion to enter --- they must be covered in clothes, exposing only the face and the palms. However, you enter the courtyard of the Mosque, but remember when you leave the gates on the left, you must step out with your right leg first, for people believe good luck will follow you thereafter.