Many years prior to the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Arab traders were traveling to Singapore, along the coastlines from Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula. Raffles first came to Singapore in 1819. By then, some of the Arab traders had moved to the city, bringing their culture and their religion. Most Malaysians on the island at that time were Muslim. Throughout history, the people have made religion the center of their lives, and their villages are centered around these ideas and beliefs. The word used for the villages is ‘kampong’. The houses were made of wood and had very pitched roofs, made either from thatch or corrugated tin and iron. They were built in a circle with a center area left open and were often elevated if they were in the middle of a marsh. This served as a communal gathering center, as well as a safe place for the children to play, as all houses face inward and the children are constantly in the eye of not only their own mothers, but the whole community as well. The men of the community worked in the farms or on the boats, fishing in the sea. Gardens of flowers and vegetables were often covering the area around the houses.
Although the times have changed, there are a few of these kampongs that now sit amongst the Singapore luxury hotels and entertainment centers. Most were cleared during the development of Singapore, but in the Arab district of the city they remain. Their strict religious view and practices have held them together, for the kampong is not just a place of residence, it is considered a holy or spiritual community. When one visits this neighborhood one is filled with the peace that the slower pace provides. There are not many automobiles driving on the streets. Most of the residence walk or ride bikes, and this is one reason this is a wonderful place to wander through. The beautiful fabric stores, the markets and the dramatically decorated mosques are just a few reasons one will not want to miss this tiny treasure of Singapore.
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