Aljunied ( ) is a suburban area located in the central part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formerly agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of land uses. Today, Aljunied is a bustling neighbourhood with HDB flats with amenities like shops, schools, parks and recreational facilities, as well as several traditional Singaporean shophouses.

Etymology

Syed Sharif Omar bin Ali Al Junied owned large tracts of agricultural land in the area. In Palembang, he established a business after migrating from his hometown in Tarim, Yemen. Syed Omar came from the well-respected Arab family who were descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Masjid Kampong Melaka was renamed Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka in his honour. In 1823, at the behest of Stamford Raffles, Syed Omar donated the land on which St Andrew's Cathedral now stands. He and his family also donated land for the establishment of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Syed Omar's descendants continue to reside in Singapore.

See also

  • Aljunied MRT station
  • Geylang East Public Library
  • Buddhist Library (Singapore)
  • Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery

References

  • Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern Universities Press,