Arab Street in Singapore.. A story, history and attraction for tourists

Arabiaweather.com - Ismail Qasmi - Singapore has a collection of distinctive Chinese, Malay, Indian and trendy streets , and while Little India or Lesser India is not forgotten for its fragrant perfumes and aromas, the vibrant colors of the shops in the Arab Quarter are what will stick In memory of "Arab Street in Singapore".

Persian textile and carpet shops are perhaps the most attractive on Arab Street, but you will also see leather, perfumes, jewelry and beautiful leather bags, and it is easy to spend a few hours between shops looking for something to buy and enjoying the conversations of the salesmen there.

And about the story of this street, it can be considered dating back to the treaty signed by Sultan Hussein Muhammad Shah with Thomas Stamford Raffles, who is the father of modern Singapore and its founder. He was one of the officials of the East India Company and concluded agreements with the current ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor and the local leader Timengong.

Through that treaty, the region was allocated to the sultan, with the existing lands determined as a settlement for the Muslims, and with time the region became attracting Malays, Javanese, and Sumatrans, not to mention the merchants coming from Yemen and the Middle East.

Most of the Arab community in Singapore descends from these Yemeni merchants, and it is believed that their number ranges from about 15 thousand people, and because they intermarried with the rest of the Muslim Singaporean community and did not remain residing in a specific area, they cannot be distinguished by appearance or language, except for those immigrants and newcomers from Arab merchants and businessmen.

Arab Street remains one of the wonderful areas that formed old Singapore, although the Islamic character has been mitigated over the years, but new improvements have begun to make the place more Arab and Islamic, especially with the Sultan Mosque , traditional textile stores and houses built in the old curry style. In addition to the Middle Eastern restaurants that occupy the street with shops and shops selling handicrafts and antiques.