This Kampong Glam travel guide covers Sultan Mosque and Arab Street, the two anchors of Singapore’s Malay and Arab heritage district, plus the former royal palace turned museum next door. It’s compact enough to see in half a day, but dense enough with history that most visitors end up staying longer than planned.
Sultan Mosque: Singapore’s National Mosque
Sultan Mosque traces back to 1824, when Sultan Hussein Shah asked for a mosque near his palace and Stamford Raffles’ East India Company contributed GBP 3,000 toward it. That original single-storey building was completed in 1826, but by the 1920s it needed replacing. The current mosque was rebuilt in phases between 1924 and 1932, specifically to avoid disrupting worshippers, and formally opened on 27 December 1929 while still under construction. Architect Denis Santry of Swan & Maclaren designed it in the Indo-Saracenic style, with two gold onion domes whose bases are ringed with glass bottle ends donated by poorer members of the Muslim community, a detail the Sultan insisted on so everyone could contribute regardless of wealth. The prayer hall holds up to 5,000 worshippers, and the mosque was designated a national monument in 1975.
Istana Kampong Glam and the Malay Heritage Centre
A short walk from the mosque, the Istana Kampong Glam was built on a 56-acre estate granted to Sultan Hussein Shah by Raffles in 1824. Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah commissioned architect George Drumgoole Coleman to build the palace itself in the 1840s, blending Palladian architecture with Malay motifs, though some evidence suggests the building wasn’t finished until closer to 1890. After a royal succession dispute in 1896, the state took ownership, and the restored palace reopened as the Malay Heritage Centre in June 2005. It was renovated again between 2011 and 2012, when over 80 percent of the artefacts on display had never been shown before, and most recently closed for redevelopment in October 2022 before reopening on 25 April 2026. The building itself was declared a national monument for Singapore’s 50th anniversary in 2015.
Arab Street: From Textile Trade to Heritage Shopping
Arab Street’s name has two competing explanations: some trace it to Syed Ali bin Mohamed Al Junied, an Arab merchant who once owned much of the surrounding land, while others point to Raffles’ own 1822 town plan, which zoned the area for both the Bugis community already settled there and incoming Arab traders. Either way, the street grew into Singapore’s centre for textile and basketware trade, and fabric shops selling batik, silk and rattan goods are still what most visitors associate with it today, alongside newer boutiques and cafes that have moved into the conserved shophouses. Bussorah Street, Haji Lane, Bali Lane and Muscat Street all branch off it, and together they make up the walkable core of the heritage district.
Where to Stay
All of Kampong Glam’s accommodation sits within these same heritage blocks. See our guide to the best boutique hotels in Kampong Glam for the full rundown, from a 61-room conservation-shophouse flagship to a rooftop capsule hostel overlooking the mosque.
Getting There and Practical Tips
Bugis MRT station (EW12/DT14) is the closest stop to both Sultan Mosque and Arab Street, a five-to-ten minute walk depending on which end of the district you’re headed to. Nicoll Highway and Lavender stations on the Circle and East-West lines are a slightly longer walk from the other side. Dress modestly if you plan to enter Sultan Mosque itself, non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times, and shoulders and knees should be covered or a loaner robe requested at the entrance.
FAQ: Visiting Kampong Glam
Can non-Muslims visit Sultan Mosque?
Yes, outside the five daily prayer times, with modest dress required. Robes are usually available for visitors who need them.
Is the Malay Heritage Centre open now?
It closed for redevelopment in October 2022 and reopened on 25 April 2026, so current visitors are seeing the newest version of the museum, not the pre-2022 layout.
How much time should I budget for Kampong Glam?
Two to three hours covers the mosque, the heritage centre and a walk down Arab Street; add more if you’re planning to shop for textiles or linger in the Haji Lane cafes.
Bottom Line
Sultan Mosque and the Malay Heritage Centre are the two fixed points of any Kampong Glam travel guide, and Arab Street’s fabric shops are worth the walk between them even if you’re not buying. The National Heritage Board’s Kampong Glam Heritage Trail has a longer self-guided route if you want to go deeper than a half-day visit.
For more on the area, see our guides to Haji Lane: Boutiques, Cafes and Street Art and Best Cafes on Haji Lane and Arab Street.
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