The present two-storey Istana Kampong Gelam was completed in 1843 and had been the family home for Sultan Hussein Shah and his descendants until the 1990s. Today, it is the Malay Heritage Centre, a museum for Malay heritage.
Istana Kampong Gelam was symmetrically planned, featuring classical European architectural elements such as the round arches at the entrance porch. The residence was also adapted for the tropical climate, seen in its projecting eaves for shade and large louvred windows for ventilation. There are also features that call back to traditional Malay architecture, such as its layout and columns resembling stilts.
Istana Kampong Gelam
To the Spice Garden
There's a small spice garden on the grounds of the Malay Heritage Center.
If you'd like to visit the garden, you can click the menu button on the top left of your screen.
If you'd like to visit the garden, you can click the menu button on the top left of your screen.
Sultan Mosque
When Singapore was ceded to the British East India Company (EIC) following the treaty, the EIC pledged to build a mosque for the Sultan and his followers, and thus Sultan Mosque was built beside Istana Kampong Gelam. Until the early 1970s, it was the landmark for haj pilgrims to gather before their months-long voyage to Mecca.
Gedung Kuning
Gedung Kuning was built as an annexe to Istana Kampong Glam, the then-residence of Singapore’s Malay royalty. After the building was mortgaged, it was bought over by Haji Yusoff, a prominent Malayo-Javanese merchant, as his private residence. The building was later acquired by the Singapore Government who restored the building as part of the Malay Heritage Centre.
A Locked Door
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A Blue Flower
According to the information board marked '2', the butterfly pea plant (Clitoria ternatea) is native to Southeast Asia and has been used in Asian cuisine as a natural blue dye and for health benefits. Dishes and pastry that use the butterfly pea plant include nasi kerabu, kueh salat and pulut tai tai amongst others. It's also used to treat illnesses in the heart, chest, lungs and blood. |
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Map of the Spice Garden
There's a map of the Spice Garden here, with numbers clearly marking out location of some information signs. If you look around the garden, you can see the signs easily.
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The Ginger Family
Information Sign '4' marks out the section of the garden where some ginger plants are. According to the sign, ginger plants are often used to soothe throat infections, headaches and nasal congestions. You recognise the pictures that show some ginger roots.
A Periwinkle Plant
A small, white flower with five petals grows here. According to Information Sign '3', this flower is the Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). While its sap is highly poisonous, its leaves can be used as a remedy for diarrhoea and malaria. As you don't know how to use the flower, you wisely leave it alone.
The Spice Trade
You read about the Spice Trade on Information Board '5'. Spices were highly prized in Europe, and the international spice trade began as merchants started to bring spices such as pepper and cinnamon from Asia to the Mediterranean world. This led colonial powers towards Southeast Asia to look for new spice-producing areas.
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Delicious Medicines
You find some wild betel growing in the garden. According to Information Board '6', wild betel and other plants are used in traditional Malay salads called ulam and have multiple health benefits.
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