Telok Blangah
Encyclopedia
Telok Blangah is a district in Singapore
to the south-west of the Central Business District
in the southern part of the island. It is part of the Bukit Merah Planning Area, an urban planning
zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority
.
means "cooking pot bay
", and covers the area behind Keppel Harbour
. Blanga is a cooking pot
made of clay
used by the southern Indians. The district name is derived from this cooking pot shape of the bay. Teluk Blanga is the district between Pasir Panjang
and Tanjong Pagar
.
Teluk Blanga is known as sit lat mng in Hokkien
, meaning "Singapore gate" or "north west gate".
did an 1849 painting from Pulau Brani
entitled "Telloh Blangah", which shows the area of the Temenggong's village (now the Johor Sultan's mosque
and burial area
) at the foot of Mount Faber
(formerly Telok Blangah Hill).
Telok Blangah Hill was renamed Mount Faber in 1845. Historically, this area is as old as the thirteenth century city of Temasek
. According to a Malay legend, the Prince of Palembang
, Sri Tri Buana's boat ran into a storm and he threw everything overboard, including his crown
before landing just off Telok Blangah beach.
The area gained prominence again during the British
period when Sir Stamford Raffles in 1823 assigned Temenggong Abdul Rahman (died 1825) and his followers 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land for their residence and a cemetery. The area flourished under Temenggong Abdul Rahman because of his monopoly
over the gutta percha trade.
Rahman's son, Daing Ibrahim, took over after his father's death. Abu Baker took over in 1862 and moved his Istana
to Tyersall Road.
In 1885, when Maharaja Abu Bakar (Temenggong until 1868) became the Sultan of Johor
, Abu Bakar moved to Johor Bahru
. However, the former Maharaja's audience hall (now the Sultan of Johor's mosque, Masjid Jamek) still remains in the area. The last to be buried was Ungku Modh. Khalif (or Khalid), younger brother of Abu Bakar of Johor in 1900.
Telok Blangah Road was officially named in 1907. The shrine of Puteri Radin Mas Ayu, a sixteenth century Javanese princess, is located at Mount Faber Road, near the junction with Telok Blangah Road.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to the south-west of the Central Business District
Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is a 266-hectare urban planning area in the south of the city-state of Singapore. The Downtown Core surrounds the mouth of the Singapore River and southeastern portion of its watershed, and is part of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district...
in the southern part of the island. It is part of the Bukit Merah Planning Area, an urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Singapore Government.-Mission:The authority was established on 1 April 1974, and is of especially critical importance to the city-state,...
.
Etymology
Telok Blangah in MalayMalay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
means "cooking pot bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
", and covers the area behind Keppel Harbour
Keppel Harbour
Keppel Harbour is a stretch of water in Singapore between the mainland and the southern islands of Pulau Brani and Sentosa. Its naturally sheltered and deep waters was to meet the requirements of British colonists attempting to establish a Far East maritime colony in that part of the world, and...
. Blanga is a cooking pot
Pot
Pot commonly refers to pottery, the ceramic ware made by pottersPot may also refer to:- Containers :* Plant pot or flower pot, a container in which plants are cultivated* Cooking pot, a stove-top cooking utensil* Chamber pot, a bedside urinal...
made of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
used by the southern Indians. The district name is derived from this cooking pot shape of the bay. Teluk Blanga is the district between Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang is an area in the south-western part of Singapore. It is located at the southern part of the Queenstown Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Kent Ridge is a topographical feature which runs through Pasir Panjang.-Etymology:The name Pasir...
and Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar is a historic district located within the Central Business District in Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urban planning zones....
.
Teluk Blanga is known as sit lat mng in Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, meaning "Singapore gate" or "north west gate".
History
John Turnbull ThomsonJohn Turnbull Thomson
John Turnbull Thomson was a British civil engineer and artist who played an instrumental role in the development of the early infrastructure of nineteenth century Singapore and New Zealand. -Biography:...
did an 1849 painting from Pulau Brani
Pulau Brani
Pulau Brani is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore, near Keppel Harbour. The island is situated between the main island of Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa, and is linked to the mainland via Brani Terminal Avenue...
entitled "Telloh Blangah", which shows the area of the Temenggong's village (now the Johor Sultan's mosque
Masjid Diraja Teluk Blangah
Masjid Diraja Teluk Blangah is a mosque in Telok Blangah, Singapore. Near the mosque is Johor's Royal Mausoleum.-Related links:*'...
and burial area
Makam Diraja Teluk Blangah
Makam Diraja Teluk Blangah is the only Johor's royal mausoleum in Singapore. Located near the Masjid Diraja Teluk Blangah in Telok Blangah.-Notable burials:*Temenggung Daeng Ibrahim*Temenggung Abdul Rahman...
) at the foot of Mount Faber
Mount Faber
Mount Faber is a hill about 105 metres in height in Singapore, located near the Bukit Merah planning area in the Central Region. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area, and the western parts of the Central Area...
(formerly Telok Blangah Hill).
Telok Blangah Hill was renamed Mount Faber in 1845. Historically, this area is as old as the thirteenth century city of Temasek
Temasek
Temasek was the name of an early city on the site of modern Singapore. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit and means "Lion City"...
. According to a Malay legend, the Prince of Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
, Sri Tri Buana's boat ran into a storm and he threw everything overboard, including his crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
before landing just off Telok Blangah beach.
The area gained prominence again during the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
period when Sir Stamford Raffles in 1823 assigned Temenggong Abdul Rahman (died 1825) and his followers 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land for their residence and a cemetery. The area flourished under Temenggong Abdul Rahman because of his monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over the gutta percha trade.
Rahman's son, Daing Ibrahim, took over after his father's death. Abu Baker took over in 1862 and moved his Istana
Istana
Istana is a Malay and Indonesian word meaning palace.-Notable Istanas:*Istana Besar, 19th and early 20th century residence of the Sultan of Johor*Istana Bogor, one of presidential palaces of Indonesia in Bogor, West Java...
to Tyersall Road.
In 1885, when Maharaja Abu Bakar (Temenggong until 1868) became the Sultan of Johor
Sultan of Johor
Sultan of Johor is a hereditary seat and the nominal ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a bendahara...
, Abu Bakar moved to Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
. However, the former Maharaja's audience hall (now the Sultan of Johor's mosque, Masjid Jamek) still remains in the area. The last to be buried was Ungku Modh. Khalif (or Khalid), younger brother of Abu Bakar of Johor in 1900.
Telok Blangah Road was officially named in 1907. The shrine of Puteri Radin Mas Ayu, a sixteenth century Javanese princess, is located at Mount Faber Road, near the junction with Telok Blangah Road.