Malay Heritage Centre

The Istana Kampong Glam was built in the 1840s for Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah, son of the Hussein Shah who signed with Raffles, on land granted to the Malay royal house, and it stayed in the family until the state took it over. It opened as the Malay Heritage Centre in 2005, with galleries on the Malay communities of Singapore, the port and the region, in the palace and the smaller Gedung Kuning beside it.

History

In 1824 Raffles gave Sultan Hussein Shah 56 acres in Kampong Glam, and in the 1840s his son Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah had George Drumgoole Coleman build the Istana there. After restoration the palace opened as the Malay Heritage Centre in June 2005, was renovated from August 2011 and reopened on 1 September 2012 (Wikipedia, Malay Heritage Centre).

The main sights

• The istana - the 1840s palace of the Malay royal house of Singapore.
• Gedung Kuning - the yellow mansion beside it, built for the sultan's family.
• The galleries - Malay Singaporean history, trade and cultural life.
• The grounds - the compound at the centre of Kampong Glam.

When to go

Year round; the centre closes on Mondays. It was shut for redevelopment from 30 October 2022 and reopened on 25 April 2026. Ramadan brings a large night market to the surrounding streets. Mornings are quietest.

What to expect

The centre was closed for redevelopment from late 2022 until April 2026, so accounts from those years describe it as shut. The galleries are modest in size. Kampong Glam around it has gentrified heavily.

Nearby

The Sultan Mosque is in front, and Haji Lane is nearby.

Key facts