What’s the meaning of “Telok Ayer”?
What was Telok Ayer famous for?
Meaning ‘water bay’ in Malay, Telok Ayer was a coastal road until land reclamation efforts took place in the late 19th century which enabled the establishment of Collyer Quay and Shenton Way. This area is important as the Chinese junks carrying Singapore’s first immigrants would land here, becoming the first settlement for many Chinese. Ethnic enclaves developed here particularly as Indian Muslims also had significant influence in shaping this area. Looking around, it was difficult to imagine that Telok Ayer was once a bay!
Beginning in the 19th century, development progressed at a rapid pace, and continues to do so today causing juxtaposition between original sites and shop houses and new, modern buildings. The area seems to retain some of the earlier architecture with buildings embracing colour and classic Colonial styles to stand out from the mainstream architecture of most Singaporean streets. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the historically rich sites such as the Thian Hock Temple (the oldest Hokkien temple in Singapore) and the urban business centres across the street! Other notable spots in this area include Al-Abrar Mosque (built in the 1850s) and the Nagore Durgha Shrine, a mosque built between 1828 and 1830 by Chulia Muslims from south India.
