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Singapore · History

Sultans, Merchants and Gods: from Kampong Glam to Little India

Long before it became a financial powerhouse, Singapore was a port where Malay sultans, Bugis shipowners, Arab traders and labourers from India crossed paths. This walk links Kampong Glam, the district the 1819 treaty set aside for the sultan, with Little India, where the air still smells of spices and jasmine garlands. Six stops to understand how the city was divided up, and who built it.

  • 6 stops
  • 2 km
  • 1 h 50 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Sultan Mosque's golden dome framed by the Muscat Street arch

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Hajjah Fatimah MosqueThe mosque a businesswoman built on the spot where robbers had burned down her house.
  2. 2 Istana Kampong GelamThe palace of the sultan who signed the deal with Raffles that gave birth to modern Singapore.
  3. 3 Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan)Golden domes whose bases are said to be ringed with bottle ends donated by the poorest worshippers.
  4. 4 Abdul Gafoor MosqueA sunburst of twenty-five rays bearing the names of the prophets crowns the door of this Little India mosque.
  5. 5 Sri Veeramakaliamman TempleThe temple of Kali, the goddess with the necklace of skulls, which sheltered local people during the air raids.
  6. 6 House of Tan Teng NiahLittle India's last Chinese villa, painted in every colour of the rainbow.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Sultans, Merchants and Gods: from Kampong Glam to Little India

The 1819 treaty

The deal with Sultan Hussein that let the British settle on the island, and the palace he received in return.

Women and patrons

A Malacca shipping magnate, a lawyer's clerk and a sweet-maker who left their names in stone.

Districts by decree

How the colonial plan assigned each community a quarter, and how each community made it its own.

Keep exploring

More routes in Singapore

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