Halal Travel Guide: Urumqi - Hetian Street, Erdaoqiao and Tianshan Vanke
Reposted from the web
Summary: Halal Travel Guide: Urumqi - Hetian Street, Erdaoqiao and Tianshan Vanke is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear, natural English. The account focuses on Urumqi, Xinjiang Travel, Halal Food while preserving the names, places, food, photos, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Uyghur food on Hetian Street.
Every time I returned to Urumqi before, besides eating Hui Muslim food, I usually went to the Erdaoqiao and Dawan areas to eat Uyghur and Kazakh food. This Spring Festival, we went to another famous food street in Urumqi: Hetian Street.
Hetian Second Street is the busiest part of the area, and the place with the longest line is Kashgar Yibazhua. Yibazhua is a small-sized baked bun (kaobaotzi) with thin skin and a large filling. It is quite delicious. It used to be more common in southern Xinjiang, but now shops have opened in Urumqi too.
After finishing the Yibazhua, we had some pigeon soup. There are several pigeon soup shops on Hetian Second Street. The one we visited focused on an authentic taste with very few seasonings, which really highlighted the natural freshness of the pigeon soup.
We bought some sour plums from a truck on the street that sells dried fruits and candied snacks.
The Uyghur pastry shops on the street are also very popular. We bought baklava and nut tarts at Xiahedana Pastry, and they were both delicious. The baklava was packed with walnuts and was not as sweet as the kind in Turkey.
The roasted goose eggs were hot; you peel them, take a bite, and then sprinkle on the seasoning.
The handmade yogurt was thick and came with its own layer of milk skin; you cannot find this in Beijing at all.
Yangle Spicy Chicken on Hetian First Street was packed. Over the years, all the bags of Yangle Spicy Chicken I bought online were shipped from here.
Taking photos on the street, I found the main store of Azhen Rice Noodles here. Zainabu loved eating at their place when she was in middle school.
Kazakh milk tea on Hetian Street.
I always knew Dawan in Urumqi was a Kazakh neighborhood, but this time I found several Kazakh restaurants on Hetian Street. Just on the southern section of Hetian Second Street, there are four: Sahara Milk Tea House, Saiguluke Restaurant, Bashibai Restaurant, and Jinshan Specialty Restaurant. We ate horse sausage narin and milk tea at Saiguluke Restaurant. Next time, I want to try the khurdak and horse sausage pilaf.
In the morning, we went to Baorsak on Hetian First Street for a Kazakh breakfast. Baorsak now has three locations. I have already eaten at the first two, the Dawan branch and the Heba Lane branch, so this time I came to try the Hetian First Street branch. We ordered a set meal for two, which included milk tea, fried dough (baorsak), jam, yogurt, cold dishes, and flatbread (nang). Even though it was the Spring Festival holiday, their business was very good. A line started forming right after we ordered. I noticed that most of the customers were local Uyghurs. It seems Kazakh breakfast is quite popular with the Uyghur community.
Musical instrument shops in Erdaoqiao.
After drinking Kazakh milk tea, I went for a stroll in the Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar. I really wanted to visit the instrument shop run by Erkin, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Uyghur instrument making, but I found it was gone. Plus, the Kazakh girl I used to take photos with in the felt tent got married and moved away. Now, the Grand Bazaar is mostly just souvenir shops.
As I left through the north gate of the Grand Bazaar, I found the sabayi I had wanted to buy for a long time at Duoluzhe Ethnic Musical Instrument Shop, a place I had not paid much attention to before. They had two types: mulberry wood and desert poplar wood. The desert poplar ones were more expensive, heavier, and were made in the past. I bought two, which fulfilled a wish of mine. Before I left, the owner specifically told me to take good care of them because it will be very hard to find this kind of old-fashioned sabayi in the future.
I first learned about the sabayi in the 2010 documentary 'Ashik: The Last Troubadour' filmed by Liu Xiangchen. The sabayi is the most common accompaniment instrument when Uyghur Ashiks perform Dhikr. Accompanied by the sabayi, Sufi practitioners enter a state of ecstasy (Wajd) through Dhikr to draw closer to Allah.
I continued walking around Erdaoqiao and bought an osma eyebrow pencil for Suleiman to use on his eyebrows when I get back. Osman grass is actually the leaf of the woad plant (banlangen), scientifically known as Isatis indigotica, which has been an important blue dye since ancient times. In Xinjiang, if a child has thin eyebrows, many parents use an Osman eyebrow pencil to paint them.
Then I bought some homemade yogurt on the street. After traveling to so many places, the best yogurt I have ever had is this kind sold on the streets of Xinjiang, with no labels, made at home and brought out to sell. It beats any packaged yogurt in the supermarket.
Tianshan Vanke
Urumqi Tianshan Vanke is near Dawan and is known as the Wangfujing for Uyghur and Kazakh people. It has Japanese, Thai, and Western food, as well as traditional Hui, Uyghur, and Kazakh restaurants. There is also spicy fish hotpot, fried chicken, burgers, and plenty of places for children to play. When we went, it was snowing, and there were so many friends (dosti) shopping at the mall.
The most popular spots at Tianshan Vanke are probably Mayouyu Naan-pit Roasted Whole Fish and Yangle Spicy Chicken. We ate a spicy chicken. At first, it felt a little fishy, but it was spicy, fragrant, and very satisfying to eat.
Also, the mall has a rare children's food restaurant called Jia'er Mengdou, opened by a Uyghur female boss, which is very popular with Uyghur parents. We took Suleiman to eat chicken and mushroom risotto, which came with a bowl of soup. This was Suleiman's first time eating at a restaurant in his life. They gave us a bib and a small cooling fan, which was quite thoughtful.
Then we checked out the local Xinjiang milk tea brand Tea Ballet, which has been very popular for the past two years. They specialize in various fruit yogurts, and the founder, Ma Xue'er, is a post-90s Urumqi native. I feel their style really suits young people, but I still prefer the handmade yogurt sold on the street.
At the Turkish restaurant in the mall, we ordered hollow bread, grilled lamb chops, and mint yogurt. The prices are a bit high, and they focus on a nice atmosphere, so it feels like a good place for a date. The hollow bread (nang) is quite tasty, but the lamb chops feel a bit overcooked.
Further reading:
[Halal Travel Review] Urumqi in 2018, the beautiful Dawan area.
The night markets in Urumqi are so much fun to explore!
Getting married in Urumqi Collapse Read »
Summary: Halal Travel Guide: Urumqi - Hetian Street, Erdaoqiao and Tianshan Vanke is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear, natural English. The account focuses on Urumqi, Xinjiang Travel, Halal Food while preserving the names, places, food, photos, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Uyghur food on Hetian Street.
Every time I returned to Urumqi before, besides eating Hui Muslim food, I usually went to the Erdaoqiao and Dawan areas to eat Uyghur and Kazakh food. This Spring Festival, we went to another famous food street in Urumqi: Hetian Street.
Hetian Second Street is the busiest part of the area, and the place with the longest line is Kashgar Yibazhua. Yibazhua is a small-sized baked bun (kaobaotzi) with thin skin and a large filling. It is quite delicious. It used to be more common in southern Xinjiang, but now shops have opened in Urumqi too.
After finishing the Yibazhua, we had some pigeon soup. There are several pigeon soup shops on Hetian Second Street. The one we visited focused on an authentic taste with very few seasonings, which really highlighted the natural freshness of the pigeon soup.
We bought some sour plums from a truck on the street that sells dried fruits and candied snacks.
The Uyghur pastry shops on the street are also very popular. We bought baklava and nut tarts at Xiahedana Pastry, and they were both delicious. The baklava was packed with walnuts and was not as sweet as the kind in Turkey.
The roasted goose eggs were hot; you peel them, take a bite, and then sprinkle on the seasoning.
The handmade yogurt was thick and came with its own layer of milk skin; you cannot find this in Beijing at all.
Yangle Spicy Chicken on Hetian First Street was packed. Over the years, all the bags of Yangle Spicy Chicken I bought online were shipped from here.
Taking photos on the street, I found the main store of Azhen Rice Noodles here. Zainabu loved eating at their place when she was in middle school.
Kazakh milk tea on Hetian Street.
I always knew Dawan in Urumqi was a Kazakh neighborhood, but this time I found several Kazakh restaurants on Hetian Street. Just on the southern section of Hetian Second Street, there are four: Sahara Milk Tea House, Saiguluke Restaurant, Bashibai Restaurant, and Jinshan Specialty Restaurant. We ate horse sausage narin and milk tea at Saiguluke Restaurant. Next time, I want to try the khurdak and horse sausage pilaf.
In the morning, we went to Baorsak on Hetian First Street for a Kazakh breakfast. Baorsak now has three locations. I have already eaten at the first two, the Dawan branch and the Heba Lane branch, so this time I came to try the Hetian First Street branch. We ordered a set meal for two, which included milk tea, fried dough (baorsak), jam, yogurt, cold dishes, and flatbread (nang). Even though it was the Spring Festival holiday, their business was very good. A line started forming right after we ordered. I noticed that most of the customers were local Uyghurs. It seems Kazakh breakfast is quite popular with the Uyghur community.
Musical instrument shops in Erdaoqiao.
After drinking Kazakh milk tea, I went for a stroll in the Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar. I really wanted to visit the instrument shop run by Erkin, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Uyghur instrument making, but I found it was gone. Plus, the Kazakh girl I used to take photos with in the felt tent got married and moved away. Now, the Grand Bazaar is mostly just souvenir shops.
As I left through the north gate of the Grand Bazaar, I found the sabayi I had wanted to buy for a long time at Duoluzhe Ethnic Musical Instrument Shop, a place I had not paid much attention to before. They had two types: mulberry wood and desert poplar wood. The desert poplar ones were more expensive, heavier, and were made in the past. I bought two, which fulfilled a wish of mine. Before I left, the owner specifically told me to take good care of them because it will be very hard to find this kind of old-fashioned sabayi in the future.
I first learned about the sabayi in the 2010 documentary 'Ashik: The Last Troubadour' filmed by Liu Xiangchen. The sabayi is the most common accompaniment instrument when Uyghur Ashiks perform Dhikr. Accompanied by the sabayi, Sufi practitioners enter a state of ecstasy (Wajd) through Dhikr to draw closer to Allah.
I continued walking around Erdaoqiao and bought an osma eyebrow pencil for Suleiman to use on his eyebrows when I get back. Osman grass is actually the leaf of the woad plant (banlangen), scientifically known as Isatis indigotica, which has been an important blue dye since ancient times. In Xinjiang, if a child has thin eyebrows, many parents use an Osman eyebrow pencil to paint them.
Then I bought some homemade yogurt on the street. After traveling to so many places, the best yogurt I have ever had is this kind sold on the streets of Xinjiang, with no labels, made at home and brought out to sell. It beats any packaged yogurt in the supermarket.
Tianshan Vanke
Urumqi Tianshan Vanke is near Dawan and is known as the Wangfujing for Uyghur and Kazakh people. It has Japanese, Thai, and Western food, as well as traditional Hui, Uyghur, and Kazakh restaurants. There is also spicy fish hotpot, fried chicken, burgers, and plenty of places for children to play. When we went, it was snowing, and there were so many friends (dosti) shopping at the mall.
The most popular spots at Tianshan Vanke are probably Mayouyu Naan-pit Roasted Whole Fish and Yangle Spicy Chicken. We ate a spicy chicken. At first, it felt a little fishy, but it was spicy, fragrant, and very satisfying to eat.
Also, the mall has a rare children's food restaurant called Jia'er Mengdou, opened by a Uyghur female boss, which is very popular with Uyghur parents. We took Suleiman to eat chicken and mushroom risotto, which came with a bowl of soup. This was Suleiman's first time eating at a restaurant in his life. They gave us a bib and a small cooling fan, which was quite thoughtful.
Then we checked out the local Xinjiang milk tea brand Tea Ballet, which has been very popular for the past two years. They specialize in various fruit yogurts, and the founder, Ma Xue'er, is a post-90s Urumqi native. I feel their style really suits young people, but I still prefer the handmade yogurt sold on the street.
At the Turkish restaurant in the mall, we ordered hollow bread, grilled lamb chops, and mint yogurt. The prices are a bit high, and they focus on a nice atmosphere, so it feels like a good place for a date. The hollow bread (nang) is quite tasty, but the lamb chops feel a bit overcooked.
Further reading:
[Halal Travel Review] Urumqi in 2018, the beautiful Dawan area.
The night markets in Urumqi are so much fun to explore!
Getting married in Urumqi Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Urumqi - Spring Festival, Hui Muslims and Jumuah
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Urumqi article records Hui Muslim life during the Spring Festival, including nianye, luohuali, Jumuah prayer, and visiting relatives and friends. It preserves the original religious customs, family scenes, food details, and community observations in natural English.
Night of Prayer (nianye).
During the 2024 Spring Festival holiday, I took Suleiman to visit his grandparents (anai aye) in Urumqi, just in time for the noble month of Sha'ban (the eighth month of the Islamic calendar). The evening of the 15th day of the eighth month is the Night of Bara'at, which means the Night of Atonement. On this night, the two angels on our shoulders replace the scrolls that record our good and bad deeds for the year. They seal the old scrolls and open new ones, which serve as evidence for questioning when we enter the afterlife, so it is also called the Night of Exchanging Scrolls. In the traditions of Hui Muslims in some regions, when the month of Sha'ban arrives, everyone takes turns inviting the imam and friends and family to their homes for a Night of Prayer. The main process includes reciting scriptures, praising the Prophet, performing repentance (tawbah), and asking for forgiveness for family members and the deceased. Afterward, everyone eats a rich meal to strengthen bonds, boost faith, and prepare for the noble month of Ramadan.
February 17 was our family's Night of Prayer, and we also celebrated Suleiman's first birthday (suisuizi). We invited four imams and a large group of relatives to recite surahs, recite the Bara'at praise, perform repentance, and receive dua, followed by a meal. First, we served appetizers (diediezi) and tea. The appetizers included nut tarts and baklava we bought at a Uyghur pastry shop on Hetian Street, as well as traditional flaky pastries and fried flour cakes (saqima) made by my aunt. After everyone chatted for a while, we cleared the appetizers and brought out the main dishes to officially start the feast.
With the help of my aunts, we prepared a rich feast. The main dishes were clear-stewed lamb, braised beef steak, followed by steamed starch jelly (mengzi), pearl meatballs, peppercorn chicken, steamed fish, sweet rice platter (tianpanzi), and various stir-fried dishes. The staples were fried dough (youxiang), steamed buns (momo), and rice.
The fried dough was deep-fried a day in advance. Before frying, we first performed ablution (wudu), then leavened the dough. After it rose, we scalded a small portion with hot oil and mixed in a little baking soda and fenugreek powder. We kneaded the scalded dough into the leavened dough, covered the basin, and let it rest for 15 minutes. After resting, we rolled it into a long shape, pinched off pieces, rolled them into flat cakes, cut four small slits with a knife, and it was ready to be fried. When putting them into the pot, we recited the Tasmiyah. We fried them for a while, flipped them, and tapped the edges with chopsticks; once they were firm, they were done.
To make sweet rice platter (tianpanzi), first wash the glutinous rice and soak it for three days. Then, add a little brown sugar (shazitang) and steam it, using more water than you would for regular rice. Next, wash red dates, walnut kernels, and raisins, and spread them at the bottom of a bowl. Cover them with the steamed glutinous rice and let it cool. After that, boil rock sugar to make a syrup. Finally, flip the bowl of rice onto a plate and pour the syrup over it.
Meatloaf (munzi) is made with ground beef. When mixing the filling, beat it repeatedly, then shape it into a cylinder. Pinch the top to look like a railing, pour an egg into the center, and steam it.
For spicy peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji), first wash a free-range chicken, cut it in half, and put it in a pressure cooker. Add water to cover it, along with red chili, Sichuan peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, cinnamon, and ginger slices. Once cooked, take it out, let it cool in a basin, tear the meat into strips, and top with green onions. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, turn off the heat and add dried chili skins (lapizi), Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and white pepper. Stir well, pour in some chicken broth, and then pour everything over the chicken in the basin and mix well.
We spent the night at my aunt's house near the cement factory. My uncle is an imam at a small mosque in Shanxi, and we are very grateful (zhigan) for that.
The main dishes were definitely braised beef steak and clear-stewed lamb. The chicken was raised by my uncle himself, and the lamb was from the southern mountains of Urumqi.
We spent the night at my second aunt's house in the New City District. My aunt is the recognized master chef of our family. She makes authentic home-style stir-fries, meatloaf (munzi), stuffed meat slices (jiasha), and tripe.
We spent the night at my aunt's house near the flour mill and had basin meat (penpenrou) with fried dough (youxiang) for breakfast.
We hosted our guests at Lanpin Banquet. It is currently the most popular restaurant in Urumqi for Hui Muslims to hold religious gatherings (niansuoer). They don't sell alcohol, the food is refined, and the owner is warm and attentive. It is usually packed on weekends and holidays, so you must book in advance. On the day we went, they hosted 30 tables for a circumcision ceremony and 15 tables for a special occasion.
We ate stir-fried beef tendon, spicy peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji), cold-dressed beef, hand-grabbed lamb (shoubarou), sauced stuffed meat slices (jiasha), pearl meatballs, and flatfish, along with complimentary side dishes. These are the most popular dishes for Hui Muslim gatherings in Urumqi right now. Their hand-grabbed lamb (shoubarou) is excellent; the meat is tender and fragrant, making it perfect for elderly people to eat.
I spent the night at Uncle Saisai's house in the Changsheng Brigade in the southern suburbs of Urumqi. The hospitality was generous, with dishes like sweet platter (tianpanzi), fried dough snacks (youguozi), pearl meatballs (zhenzhu wanzi), braised ribbonfish, clear-stewed meat, and braised lamb. I also met many relatives.
Engagement acceptance ceremony (luohuali)
This time, I arrived just in time for my brother-in-law's engagement acceptance ceremony (luohuali). We had a feast at a small community (xiaofang) of the Jahriyya order (Zhepai) in Anningqu, in the northern suburbs of Urumqi, where I ate some homemade fried twisted sugar dough (tangningningzi). The feast started with small appetizer plates, which were then cleared to make room for the main dishes, including clear-stewed meat, braised meatballs, braised fish, and beef head meat.
The traditional wedding customs of Hui Muslims in Xinjiang are very specific. Before a formal marriage proposal, there is a 'preliminary inquiry' where the man's family learns about the woman's family. Then, they send a matchmaker with four types of gifts—tea leaves, sugar cubes, red dates, and walnuts (or pastries)—wrapped in four colors, known as the 'four-color gift' (sese li). The first time a matchmaker brings the four-color gift to propose, it is called the 'opening gift' (kaikouli). The matchmaker gives the red-cloth-wrapped gifts to the woman's family, but they do not give an answer right away. After careful consideration, the woman's family sends a message through the matchmaker. The man's family then sends the four-color gift again, which is called the 'engagement acceptance ceremony' (luohuali), and after that, they enter the engagement stage.
Friday prayer (Jumu'ah)
At noon, I attended the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Changsheng Grand Mosque. The Changsheng Grand Mosque is located in the Changsheng Brigade at the foot of Yaomo Mountain (Yamalike Mountain) in the southern suburbs of Urumqi. It has the highest number of congregants among the Hui Muslim mosques in the Saybagh District, with over a hundred people attending the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah). The Changsheng Brigade used to be a series of large courtyards where everyone farmed. Now, everyone has moved collectively to the Fumin Anju residential area, and the houses are very spacious.
Imam Fanta of the Changsheng Grand Mosque is my wife's uncle. Uncle Fanta is the one who performed our marriage contract (nikah). Uncle Fanta's surname is Su. The Su family is a large clan in Changsheng. Over three hundred years ago, they left Ankang, Shaanxi, and traveled through Ningxia and Jimsar to Urumqi to do business. Later, their business failed, and they eventually moved to Changsheng to farm, where they have lived ever since.
I bought fresh milk and handmade yogurt at the entrance of the Changsheng residential area. A large bucket of fresh milk only cost 20 yuan. After boiling it and adding two spoonfuls of milk skin (naipizi) I bought earlier on Hetian Street, it tasted amazing. The handmade yogurt comes with its own layer of milk skin (naipizi) and has a very rich milky flavor.
Visiting relatives and friends.
I visited my second aunt's house and had a lunch of Hui Muslim-style lamb dumpling soup (fentang yangrou jiaozi). The soup is the version Hui Muslims in Xinjiang make for Eid, and the dumplings are filled with lamb, onions (piyanzi), and pickled cabbage. They were small and delicate, and everyone loved them.
I attended a family dinner at my older sister's place. My brother-in-law is a great cook and made beef steak stew, spicy numbing chicken (jiaoma ji), pumpkin buns (kawa baozi), and smoked horse sausage. My brother-in-law makes amazing rice pilaf (zhuafan), so I made sure to ask him for his tips during the meal. Don't stir-fry the yellow carrots for the rice pilaf all the way through. Stewing them in water brings out their sweetness, so you don't need to add extra sugar. You must use plenty of oil for the rice pilaf. If you use too much, just tilt the pot and scoop the excess out. The extra oil from the rice pilaf is great for making cabbage and meat mixed noodles (banmian) because it adds so much flavor.
My great-aunt in Wusu invited us out to eat at Lanpin Banquet on Zhujiang Road. It shows how popular this place is among the older generation of Hui Muslims in Urumqi. As soon as we walked in, a young waiter greeted us with a salaam and showed us to our table. We have only been here twice, but the service is always excellent.
This time we had stir-fried black and white lung, yellow noodles with grilled meat (huangmian kaorou), sweet platter (tianpanzi), layered steamed bread (youtazi), spicy numbing chicken, and clear-stewed meat. Everyone loved these traditional dishes.
Collapse Read »
Summary: This Urumqi article records Hui Muslim life during the Spring Festival, including nianye, luohuali, Jumuah prayer, and visiting relatives and friends. It preserves the original religious customs, family scenes, food details, and community observations in natural English.
Night of Prayer (nianye).
During the 2024 Spring Festival holiday, I took Suleiman to visit his grandparents (anai aye) in Urumqi, just in time for the noble month of Sha'ban (the eighth month of the Islamic calendar). The evening of the 15th day of the eighth month is the Night of Bara'at, which means the Night of Atonement. On this night, the two angels on our shoulders replace the scrolls that record our good and bad deeds for the year. They seal the old scrolls and open new ones, which serve as evidence for questioning when we enter the afterlife, so it is also called the Night of Exchanging Scrolls. In the traditions of Hui Muslims in some regions, when the month of Sha'ban arrives, everyone takes turns inviting the imam and friends and family to their homes for a Night of Prayer. The main process includes reciting scriptures, praising the Prophet, performing repentance (tawbah), and asking for forgiveness for family members and the deceased. Afterward, everyone eats a rich meal to strengthen bonds, boost faith, and prepare for the noble month of Ramadan.
February 17 was our family's Night of Prayer, and we also celebrated Suleiman's first birthday (suisuizi). We invited four imams and a large group of relatives to recite surahs, recite the Bara'at praise, perform repentance, and receive dua, followed by a meal. First, we served appetizers (diediezi) and tea. The appetizers included nut tarts and baklava we bought at a Uyghur pastry shop on Hetian Street, as well as traditional flaky pastries and fried flour cakes (saqima) made by my aunt. After everyone chatted for a while, we cleared the appetizers and brought out the main dishes to officially start the feast.
With the help of my aunts, we prepared a rich feast. The main dishes were clear-stewed lamb, braised beef steak, followed by steamed starch jelly (mengzi), pearl meatballs, peppercorn chicken, steamed fish, sweet rice platter (tianpanzi), and various stir-fried dishes. The staples were fried dough (youxiang), steamed buns (momo), and rice.
The fried dough was deep-fried a day in advance. Before frying, we first performed ablution (wudu), then leavened the dough. After it rose, we scalded a small portion with hot oil and mixed in a little baking soda and fenugreek powder. We kneaded the scalded dough into the leavened dough, covered the basin, and let it rest for 15 minutes. After resting, we rolled it into a long shape, pinched off pieces, rolled them into flat cakes, cut four small slits with a knife, and it was ready to be fried. When putting them into the pot, we recited the Tasmiyah. We fried them for a while, flipped them, and tapped the edges with chopsticks; once they were firm, they were done.
To make sweet rice platter (tianpanzi), first wash the glutinous rice and soak it for three days. Then, add a little brown sugar (shazitang) and steam it, using more water than you would for regular rice. Next, wash red dates, walnut kernels, and raisins, and spread them at the bottom of a bowl. Cover them with the steamed glutinous rice and let it cool. After that, boil rock sugar to make a syrup. Finally, flip the bowl of rice onto a plate and pour the syrup over it.
Meatloaf (munzi) is made with ground beef. When mixing the filling, beat it repeatedly, then shape it into a cylinder. Pinch the top to look like a railing, pour an egg into the center, and steam it.
For spicy peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji), first wash a free-range chicken, cut it in half, and put it in a pressure cooker. Add water to cover it, along with red chili, Sichuan peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, cinnamon, and ginger slices. Once cooked, take it out, let it cool in a basin, tear the meat into strips, and top with green onions. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, turn off the heat and add dried chili skins (lapizi), Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and white pepper. Stir well, pour in some chicken broth, and then pour everything over the chicken in the basin and mix well.
We spent the night at my aunt's house near the cement factory. My uncle is an imam at a small mosque in Shanxi, and we are very grateful (zhigan) for that.
The main dishes were definitely braised beef steak and clear-stewed lamb. The chicken was raised by my uncle himself, and the lamb was from the southern mountains of Urumqi.
We spent the night at my second aunt's house in the New City District. My aunt is the recognized master chef of our family. She makes authentic home-style stir-fries, meatloaf (munzi), stuffed meat slices (jiasha), and tripe.
We spent the night at my aunt's house near the flour mill and had basin meat (penpenrou) with fried dough (youxiang) for breakfast.
We hosted our guests at Lanpin Banquet. It is currently the most popular restaurant in Urumqi for Hui Muslims to hold religious gatherings (niansuoer). They don't sell alcohol, the food is refined, and the owner is warm and attentive. It is usually packed on weekends and holidays, so you must book in advance. On the day we went, they hosted 30 tables for a circumcision ceremony and 15 tables for a special occasion.
We ate stir-fried beef tendon, spicy peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji), cold-dressed beef, hand-grabbed lamb (shoubarou), sauced stuffed meat slices (jiasha), pearl meatballs, and flatfish, along with complimentary side dishes. These are the most popular dishes for Hui Muslim gatherings in Urumqi right now. Their hand-grabbed lamb (shoubarou) is excellent; the meat is tender and fragrant, making it perfect for elderly people to eat.
I spent the night at Uncle Saisai's house in the Changsheng Brigade in the southern suburbs of Urumqi. The hospitality was generous, with dishes like sweet platter (tianpanzi), fried dough snacks (youguozi), pearl meatballs (zhenzhu wanzi), braised ribbonfish, clear-stewed meat, and braised lamb. I also met many relatives.
Engagement acceptance ceremony (luohuali)
This time, I arrived just in time for my brother-in-law's engagement acceptance ceremony (luohuali). We had a feast at a small community (xiaofang) of the Jahriyya order (Zhepai) in Anningqu, in the northern suburbs of Urumqi, where I ate some homemade fried twisted sugar dough (tangningningzi). The feast started with small appetizer plates, which were then cleared to make room for the main dishes, including clear-stewed meat, braised meatballs, braised fish, and beef head meat.
The traditional wedding customs of Hui Muslims in Xinjiang are very specific. Before a formal marriage proposal, there is a 'preliminary inquiry' where the man's family learns about the woman's family. Then, they send a matchmaker with four types of gifts—tea leaves, sugar cubes, red dates, and walnuts (or pastries)—wrapped in four colors, known as the 'four-color gift' (sese li). The first time a matchmaker brings the four-color gift to propose, it is called the 'opening gift' (kaikouli). The matchmaker gives the red-cloth-wrapped gifts to the woman's family, but they do not give an answer right away. After careful consideration, the woman's family sends a message through the matchmaker. The man's family then sends the four-color gift again, which is called the 'engagement acceptance ceremony' (luohuali), and after that, they enter the engagement stage.
Friday prayer (Jumu'ah)
At noon, I attended the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Changsheng Grand Mosque. The Changsheng Grand Mosque is located in the Changsheng Brigade at the foot of Yaomo Mountain (Yamalike Mountain) in the southern suburbs of Urumqi. It has the highest number of congregants among the Hui Muslim mosques in the Saybagh District, with over a hundred people attending the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah). The Changsheng Brigade used to be a series of large courtyards where everyone farmed. Now, everyone has moved collectively to the Fumin Anju residential area, and the houses are very spacious.
Imam Fanta of the Changsheng Grand Mosque is my wife's uncle. Uncle Fanta is the one who performed our marriage contract (nikah). Uncle Fanta's surname is Su. The Su family is a large clan in Changsheng. Over three hundred years ago, they left Ankang, Shaanxi, and traveled through Ningxia and Jimsar to Urumqi to do business. Later, their business failed, and they eventually moved to Changsheng to farm, where they have lived ever since.
I bought fresh milk and handmade yogurt at the entrance of the Changsheng residential area. A large bucket of fresh milk only cost 20 yuan. After boiling it and adding two spoonfuls of milk skin (naipizi) I bought earlier on Hetian Street, it tasted amazing. The handmade yogurt comes with its own layer of milk skin (naipizi) and has a very rich milky flavor.
Visiting relatives and friends.
I visited my second aunt's house and had a lunch of Hui Muslim-style lamb dumpling soup (fentang yangrou jiaozi). The soup is the version Hui Muslims in Xinjiang make for Eid, and the dumplings are filled with lamb, onions (piyanzi), and pickled cabbage. They were small and delicate, and everyone loved them.
I attended a family dinner at my older sister's place. My brother-in-law is a great cook and made beef steak stew, spicy numbing chicken (jiaoma ji), pumpkin buns (kawa baozi), and smoked horse sausage. My brother-in-law makes amazing rice pilaf (zhuafan), so I made sure to ask him for his tips during the meal. Don't stir-fry the yellow carrots for the rice pilaf all the way through. Stewing them in water brings out their sweetness, so you don't need to add extra sugar. You must use plenty of oil for the rice pilaf. If you use too much, just tilt the pot and scoop the excess out. The extra oil from the rice pilaf is great for making cabbage and meat mixed noodles (banmian) because it adds so much flavor.
My great-aunt in Wusu invited us out to eat at Lanpin Banquet on Zhujiang Road. It shows how popular this place is among the older generation of Hui Muslims in Urumqi. As soon as we walked in, a young waiter greeted us with a salaam and showed us to our table. We have only been here twice, but the service is always excellent.
This time we had stir-fried black and white lung, yellow noodles with grilled meat (huangmian kaorou), sweet platter (tianpanzi), layered steamed bread (youtazi), spicy numbing chicken, and clear-stewed meat. Everyone loved these traditional dishes.
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Halal Travel Guide: Huai an, Jiangsu - Mosques, Hui Muslims and Local History
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Jiangsu travel account revisits Huai an in 2017 through mosques, Hui Muslim community history, streets, and local food. It preserves the original notes on removed source material, place names, architectural details, and historical references.
Because the article was taken down, I have revised and reposted it.
On March 11, 2017, I went to Huai'an, Jiangsu, to explore the food and sights. I visited three places: Qingjiangpu, Hexia, and Wangjiaying. I will introduce them to you one by one.
Qingjiangpu
In 1415 (the 13th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty), Chen Xuan, the Earl of Pingjiang, dredged Qingjiangpu. He built the Changying Granary, which stretched for several miles, and the massive Qingjiang Shipyard. He conscripted over 6,000 craftsmen, and grain transport ships from every province were repaired and built here. As a hub for grain transport, the town of Qingjiangpu gradually took shape and became increasingly prosperous.
Because navigating the Yellow River section of the canal was very dangerous and waiting times to pass through locks in Shandong were too long, many merchants and travelers chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu. They would cross the Yellow River at Wangjiaying and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north. Qingjiangpu became a transportation hub known for "southern boats and northern horses."
In 1677 (the 16th year of the Kangxi reign), the Director-General of Grain Transport moved to Qingjiangpu, making it the center of the grain transport system. In his collection of notes and stories, "Seven Inks of the Golden Pot" (Jinhu Qimo), the Qing Dynasty writer Huang Junzai recorded: "Along the Qingjiang River for over ten miles, the markets were prosperous and filled with goods. People from all directions gathered here, with shoulders rubbing and carriage wheels touching; it was truly magnificent."
However, due to the dual impact of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom capturing Nanjing in 1853 (the third year of the Xianfeng reign) and the Yellow River bursting its banks and changing course at Tongwaxiang in 1855 (the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign), the canal began to fall into disrepair and silt up. In 1860, the Nian Army captured Qingjiangpu, and its twenty-mile-long bustling market streets were burned down. In 1873, the Qing government ordered the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company to transport grain from Shanghai to Tianjin by steamship, causing Qingjiangpu to decline rapidly. After the Jinpu Railway opened in 1912, Qingjiangpu declined even further. When the new Grand Canal was completed in 1959, Qingjiangpu finally ended its history as a transportation hub.
Qingjiang Mosque
The most important wharf in Qingjiangpu is next to Yuezha. It is called the Imperial Wharf (Yu Matou) because both the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors landed there during their southern inspection tours. This was once the most prosperous and lively place in Qingjiangpu.
Starting from the Ming Dynasty, Hui Muslims did business on Yuehe Street in front of the Imperial Wharf. This gradually formed the Yuehe Street Hui Muslim community in Qingjiangpu, and the center of this community is the Qingjiang Mosque.
Qingjiang Mosque was originally called Yuanpu Mosque. It was first built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and underwent large-scale renovations and expansions in 1799 (the 57th year of the Qianlong reign). In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), the Nian Army captured Qingjiangpu and destroyed the mosque. The imam, Ma Huanwen, unfortunately passed away from illness while raising funds for its reconstruction. Fortunately, an elder from Nanjing named Jiang Hengqing took over. He organized everyone to raise funds, and they finally rebuilt the main prayer hall in 1870 (the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign).
The 1870 (9th year of the Tongzhi reign) stele inscription titled 'Record of Rebuilding the Mosque Main Hall' inside the mosque tells the history of Qingjiang Mosque.
In 1910 (the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign), Qingjiang Mosque established Muying Primary School next to the mosque to teach both Chinese and Arabic. The famous historian Professor Pang Pu once studied there. Today, the school building is destroyed, and no traces remain.
To the west of the mosque once stood the former residence of Zuo Baogui, known as the Zuo Mansion. General Zuo Baogui led his troops to defend the Xuanwu Gate in Pyongyang during the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894 (the 20th year of the Guangxu reign), dealing heavy blows to the Japanese army. On September 15, General Zuo Baogui personally lit a cannon to fire. His right arm was blown off, but he bandaged the wound and kept fighting. He was eventually hit in the chest by a shell and died a heroic death at the age of 57. That same year, the Yangzhou government followed an imperial decree to build a cenotaph for Zuo Baogui next to the Puhading Tomb in Yangzhou, which is still preserved today.
Qingjiang Mosque stopped its activities and was occupied in 1966. It was renovated in 1979 and has been open ever since.
Halal food in Qingjiangpu.
There are over ten halal restaurants in Qingjiangpu. Just on the Yuehe Snack Street in front of the mosque, there are eight, and each one has its own specialty.
Liu Si Noodle Shop serves chicken noodle soup with fish balls, beef balls, and squid. The fish balls are super delicious, and the soup is excellent. It feels great to finish a bowl. However, the owner said this area will be demolished in a year or two, so they will likely have to move.
Salted goose (yanshui e) from Sha's Beef Shop.
Wonton noodles (huntun mian) from Ding Si Wonton Noodle Shop.
Little sparrows (fried mini wontons).
Seman Cafe is run by local Hui Muslims. They serve tea in the afternoon and grilled skewers at night. I ordered Arabic coffee, dates, and date milk. The atmosphere is quite nice.
Saudi perfume.
I read for a while in the cafe. There are many books on the shelves.
Finally, I bought some Dubai wheat soda.
Hexia Ancient Town.
Travel south along the Grand Canal from Qingjiangpu, and you will reach Hexia Ancient Town, not far northwest of the Huai'an Prefecture city. Hexia is the largest town in the suburbs of Huai'an. Its historical official name was Manpu. After Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty attacked the Southern Tang, he set up the Manpu Customs here and built dams and locks. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Hexia developed into an important canal town.
Because the salt fields along the coast of Huaibei produced high-quality salt, many salt merchants from the northwest and Anhui came to Huaibei during the late Ming Dynasty. The Huaibei Salt Transport Office was located in Hexia. Salt from the fields had to be shipped to Hexia for inspection before merchants sold it elsewhere. Hexia then entered its most prosperous period. Salt merchants built gardens and courtyards there. The Qing Dynasty record "Hexia Annals of Huai'an" states: "Wealthy salt merchants brought their capital and made their homes in Hexia, making the town extremely prosperous." The wealth brought by these merchants made the town's business thrive, and many Hui Muslims also came to settle in Hexia.
In 1831 (the 11th year of the Daoguang reign), Liangjiang Governor Tao Peng implemented the ticket salt law in Huaibei, requiring permits to transport salt. Many salt merchants went bankrupt quickly. This event is known as the "Salt Reform," and Hexia Ancient Town began to decline from then on.
Hexia Mosque was first built in the Ming Dynasty. In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), when the Nian Army captured Huai'an, 10 rooms of the mosque were burned down, but it was later rebuilt. After 1966, Hexia Mosque stopped its activities and four rooms were damaged. It resumed activities in 1986 and recently underwent major renovations to reach its current state.
When we visited, the Hexia Mosque was empty. Imam Sha was running a beef and lamb shop on the other side of town and only goes to the mosque when needed.
In the early years of the Republic of China, a Hui Muslim named Zhang Bu'ao opened the Kaifuxingzhai Halal Restaurant in Hexia Town. It was a famous halal restaurant at the time with 11 rooms, two of which faced the street. The building still stands today and is listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Huai'an City.
Halal snacks in Hexia Town.
The second issue of Jiangsu Muslims in 2016 featured an article titled Famous Halal Products, Restaurants, and Snacks in Huai'an, provided by the Huai'an Islamic Association. The article mentions that in the late Qing Dynasty, a Hui Muslim named Li in Hexia Town applied noodle-pulling techniques to making fried dough twists (sanzi), creating a unique version of the snack. The Li family's fried dough twists (sanzi) are made with sesame oil and no alkaline additives, allowing them to be shaped into fans, combs, pagodas, and other patterns.
Halal tea-flavored fried dough twists (sanzi) in Hexia Town today.
There is also a type of sweet cake.
Hexia Town once had a teahouse opened by a Hui Muslim named Chen Yongyuan during the Xianfeng era. The lintel above the door was inscribed with the word Halal in red, Chen Yongyuan in the middle, and Teahouse at the bottom. This piece is now in the collection of the Chuzhou Museum. Every morning, someone was sent to fetch water from the Grand Canal. After returning, they used alum to clarify the water, then boiled it to brew famous teas like Longjing and Biluochun. People came to the teahouse every morning to drink tea and chat in a constant stream.
Today, there is still a halal snack shop on Zhugan Lane in Hexia Town, where we had some very delicious shredded chicken noodles.
Wangjiaying.
Wangjiaying, now called Wangying, is located between the old Yellow River course and the Yan River. During the Ming Dynasty, the Dahe Guard was established in Huai'an Prefecture, and ten military camps were built along the Yellow River. Wangjiaying was one of them.
Because travel on the Yellow River section of the canal was slow and passing through the locks was dangerous, often leading to broken cables and sunken boats, many merchants chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu. They would cross the Yellow River at Wangjiaying and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north. Wangjiaying and Qingjiangpu gradually grew into busy towns together.
The old Yellow River course before 1855.
Wangjiaying experienced many Yellow River floods, and the town moved east three times before reaching its current location. Wangjiaying became more prosperous in the early Qing Dynasty. The Wangjiaying Gazetteer records that it was a place where southern boats and northern horses met and crowds gathered. In 1831, the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Tao Peng, implemented a salt ticket system in Huaibei. Known as the salt reform, this meant sea salt from Huaibei salt fields no longer needed to be inspected and taxed in Hexia Town. Tao Peng chose Xiba in Wangjiaying as the new distribution center for Huai salt. Because of this, Wangjiaying became the center for eighteen salt warehouses and seventy-two salt bureaus. Salt boats traveled constantly along the three-hundred-mile waterway between the Huaibei salt fields and Wangjiaying.
The rise of Wangjiaying during the Qing Dynasty led to Hui Muslims settling there. The first Hui Muslims to arrive in Wangjiaying were the Ma and Sha families, who came from Lingzhou in Gansu by way of Shandong and Zhenjiang. Later, families named Jin, Dai, Chang, Ge, Fan, Li, and Yang also settled here.
The history of the Wangjiaying Mosque is documented in the book A Century-Old Mosque in the Ancient City of Huaiyin by Imam Fan Weiming and in The Past and Present of Wangying Mosque by Mao Lifa, the former director of the Huaiyin District CPPCC Cultural and Historical Committee. I have organized that information here.
The Wangjiaying Mosque was first built during the Yongzheng reign as three thatched rooms next to the lotus pond at Wangjiapo. At the end of the Daoguang reign, it moved to the south bank of the Salt River, with Imams Chang Tingzhang and Dai Mingxuan in charge of religious affairs. Imam Chang Tingzhang, known as Third Master Chang, was originally from Jining, Shandong. He was born in 1785 in Taoyuan County, Huai'an Prefecture, Jiangsu (now Siyang). In his youth, he studied in Lingzhou, Gansu (now Lingwu, Ningxia), and after completing his studies, he visited various places in Jining, Shandong, to continue his religious education. In 1810, at the age of 26, Imam Chang Tingzhang was invited to lead the Wangjiaying Mosque. Imam Chang Tingzhang had deep knowledge of Arabic classics, astronomy, and medical theory. According to the Wangjiaying Gazetteer, a man named Third Master Tao from Hangzhou died in Huai'an during the Daoguang reign. Because it was the heat of summer, Imam Chang Tingzhang personally bought a boat to transport the body south along the Grand Canal to Hangzhou to fulfill his duty to the family.
In 1860, the Nian Army entered Wangjiaying and burned the mosque. In 1867, Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of Imam Dai Mingxuan, built a few thatched huts, and later, with donations from the community, a main prayer hall with three thatched rooms was constructed.
Imam Chang Tingzhang passed away in 1870, and Imam Dai Jingzhai took over religious affairs. In 1884, the thatched rooms were rebuilt with tile roofs. Because Imam Chang Tingzhang had studied at the Jahriyya order's Daotang in Lingzhou, Ningxia, in his youth, the Wangjiaying Mosque later invited five successive Jahriyya imams from Ningxia to lead religious affairs and teach. Subsequent imams also went to Ningxia for further study. This made the Wangjiaying Mosque one of the nine branch centers of the Banqiao Daotang in Ningxia, maintaining a very close relationship with the Banqiao Daotang in Wuzhong, Ningxia.
In 1912, the mosque built a new main gate, a south lecture hall, a kitchen, and a washroom. In 1920, with funding from the Jinshantang in Gansu and money from selling dozens of willow trees from the public cemetery, they rebuilt the three-room tiled eave structure in front of the main prayer hall and added a new three-room east lecture hall.
In 1958, the Wangjiaying Mosque moved to the east side of West Ma Road in Wangying, and in 1961, it moved to its current location because a bank needed the land to build. In 1966, during the campaign to destroy the Four Olds, the main hall's plaques reading "The Way Spreads to the Central Land," "The Faith Follows the Western Regions," and "Stop at the Ultimate Good," along with the gold-lettered Arabic plaques and the couplets reading "See the invisible, hear the soundless, rectify the mind and be sincere, become a sage or a worthy, original nature;" were all smashed or burned. The couplet continued, "The Way stands, movement brings harmony, reach others through oneself, help things and help the world, all is complete," and these were also destroyed, along with funeral equipment, while the main hall was taken over by a shoe and hat factory to use as a warehouse.
In 1979, under the leadership of Imam Ge Weili, the Wangjiaying Mosque was rebuilt in a traditional style, finishing in 1985, and after two more renovations and expansions in 2003 and 2006, it reached its current appearance.
Imam Ge Weili was born in 1924, went to Ningxia to study in 1937, became the imam of Wangjiaying Mosque after completing his training in 1945, served as the imam in 1966, and later became the vice president of the Jiangsu Islamic Association and president of the Huai'an Islamic Association. The religious affairs of the Wangjiaying Mosque are now handled by Imam Fan Weiming, a student of Imam Ge Weili.
Halal food in Wangjiaying.
The second issue of "Jiangsu Muslims" in 2016 featured an article titled "Famous Halal Products, Shops, and Foods in Huai'an," provided by the Huai'an Islamic Association, which wrote about the halal food in Wangjiaying.
In 1831 (the 11th year of the Daoguang reign), after the salt administration expanded at Xiba in Wangjiaying, Imam Dai Mingxuan of the Wangjiaying Mosque opened a halal restaurant at the north end of Yushan Street, hiring the best local chefs and making it a high-end spot where many Huai'an officials and nobles held banquets.
In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), after the Nian Army broke through Wangjiaying, the halal restaurant and the mosque were both destroyed in the war. In 1886 (the 12th year of the Guangxu reign), with everyone's help, Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of Imam Dai Mingxuan, reopened the halal restaurant at the North Weimen gate in Wangjiaying. The halal restaurant was forced to close after 1937, reopened after 1945, but struggled due to the following wars. After the public-private partnership in 1958, the halal restaurant merged into the Huaiyin Food and Beverage Company No. 2, with Ma Hengpu serving as manager. At the end of 1959, it moved to Beijing Road, featuring three storefront rooms in the front and four kitchen rooms in the back, with Wang Jinbiao taking over as manager. After the 1970s, Li Haiquan took over as manager and renamed it the Hui Muslims Restaurant (Huimin Fandian). In the 1980s, Ma Hengbao led the construction of a new two-story building, and Dai Peng took over as manager. In March 2003, the Hui Muslims Restaurant was restructured, the original staff were all bought out, and it became a private enterprise.
The beef jerky (niupu) made by Ma Wu in Wangjiaying is also very famous. Ma Wu's real name was Ma Guowu. During the Taiping Rebellion, his grandfather Ma Xingyuan moved from Shaanxi to Mule Horse Street (Luoma Jie) in Wangjiaying and supported his family with his ancestral beef jerky craft. By Ma Wu's generation, the business grew larger, and the storefront was rebuilt from three single-story rooms into a multi-story building. Ma Wu chose only the best lean yellow beef. After cutting it into pieces, he sprinkled it with salt and saltpeter brine, rubbed it thoroughly, and put it in a vat to cure. It took one week in winter, and a few days less in other seasons before it was ready to be taken out. After taking it out of the vat, he drained the brine and put the meat into a pot. He added old brine, rock sugar, fennel, soy sauce, almonds, galangal, and over ten other ingredients. He brought it to a boil and then simmered it over low heat for 7 hours until it was done.
In 1954, during the public-private partnership, Ma Wu became a worker at the Wangying Town Bean Products Factory. After the reform and opening up, he returned to his old trade until he passed away (guizhen) in February 1999 during Eid al-Adha (Jierbang Jie). None of his children inherited the family business, and the Wangjiaying Ma family beef jerky was lost from then on.
After this, another Hui Muslim from Wangjiaying, Fan Weishun, put up the sign for Fan's Beef Jerky (Fanji Niupu). Fan Weishun learned to make beef jerky from his father, Fan Degao, since he was a child. He innovated the traditional curing technique and figured out methods for making tender and firm beef, as well as techniques for using high, medium, low, simmering, and intense heat. This made Fan's Beef Jerky comparable to the Ma Wu beef jerky of the past.
Li's Fried Dough Sticks (Li Ji Youdatou) are an ancestral craft of the Li family, who are Hui Muslims in Wangjiaying. They put the prepared dough in a basin and use two bamboo sticks to pick it up and scrape it into a pot that is high on one side and low on the other. The finished fried dough sticks are less than 3 inches long and 3 centimeters thick. They are golden in color, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and have a soft texture. The dough for these fried dough sticks is softer than that used for regular fried dough sticks (youtiao), and it contains less alkali, alum, and salt.
In 1956, during the joint operation of individual enterprises and workshops, the Li's Fried Dough Sticks shop was merged into the Wangying Central Store, Dahua Restaurant. After the enterprise reform in 1984, the elder Mr. Li retired. No descendants inherited the craft, and Li's Fried Dough Sticks were lost from then on.
In the past, the halal pastries from the Huaiyin Hui Muslim Food Factory were very famous. They made over ten types of treats, including golden twisted dough sticks (jinsi mahua), pineapple cakes (boluo bing), and heart-shaped cakes (fanxin bing) that children loved. For the elderly, they had laughing cookies (kaikouxiao), red bean paste mooncakes (dousha yuebing), and black sesame and salt-and-pepper mooncakes (heizhima jiaoyan yuebing). Farmers also enjoyed their harvest mooncakes (fengshou yuebing) and rock sugar pastries (bingtang su).
A witness to the Grand Canal
Inside the courtyard of the Huaiyin District Library in Wangjiaying, there is a tomb for Zheng Wenying, a high-ranking official from the Ryukyu Kingdom. Zheng Wenying was a high-level translator for the Ryukyu Kingdom. His ancestors were among the thirty-six families of Fujian boatmen gifted to Ryukyu by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. After these Fujian boatmen arrived in Ryukyu, they handled navigation, shipbuilding, writing and translating diplomatic documents, and trade with China. Zheng Wenying was the fifteenth generation of this family.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, tribute envoys from Ryukyu traveled along the Grand Canal to reach Beijing. In 1761, the twenty-sixth year of the Qianlong reign, the Qingkou Post Station was established in Wangjiaying. It served as an important stop for Ryukyuan tribute envoys to rest and resupply. In 1793, the fifty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign, Zheng Wenying traveled with a tribute mission from the Ryukyu Kingdom. He fell ill and passed away while passing through the Qingkou Post Station in Wangjiaying, where he was buried.
The site of the Governor-General of Grain Transport Office in the center of Huai'an Prefecture. This location officially became the Governor-General of Grain Transport Office in 1579, the seventh year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty. In October 1945, the New Fourth Army captured Huai'an city and dismantled the main hall to transport the wood away. In August 2002, the site was excavated during urban renewal, leading to the construction of the Governor-General of Grain Transport Office Site Park.
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Summary: This Jiangsu travel account revisits Huai an in 2017 through mosques, Hui Muslim community history, streets, and local food. It preserves the original notes on removed source material, place names, architectural details, and historical references.
Because the article was taken down, I have revised and reposted it.
On March 11, 2017, I went to Huai'an, Jiangsu, to explore the food and sights. I visited three places: Qingjiangpu, Hexia, and Wangjiaying. I will introduce them to you one by one.
Qingjiangpu
In 1415 (the 13th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty), Chen Xuan, the Earl of Pingjiang, dredged Qingjiangpu. He built the Changying Granary, which stretched for several miles, and the massive Qingjiang Shipyard. He conscripted over 6,000 craftsmen, and grain transport ships from every province were repaired and built here. As a hub for grain transport, the town of Qingjiangpu gradually took shape and became increasingly prosperous.
Because navigating the Yellow River section of the canal was very dangerous and waiting times to pass through locks in Shandong were too long, many merchants and travelers chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu. They would cross the Yellow River at Wangjiaying and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north. Qingjiangpu became a transportation hub known for "southern boats and northern horses."
In 1677 (the 16th year of the Kangxi reign), the Director-General of Grain Transport moved to Qingjiangpu, making it the center of the grain transport system. In his collection of notes and stories, "Seven Inks of the Golden Pot" (Jinhu Qimo), the Qing Dynasty writer Huang Junzai recorded: "Along the Qingjiang River for over ten miles, the markets were prosperous and filled with goods. People from all directions gathered here, with shoulders rubbing and carriage wheels touching; it was truly magnificent."
However, due to the dual impact of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom capturing Nanjing in 1853 (the third year of the Xianfeng reign) and the Yellow River bursting its banks and changing course at Tongwaxiang in 1855 (the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign), the canal began to fall into disrepair and silt up. In 1860, the Nian Army captured Qingjiangpu, and its twenty-mile-long bustling market streets were burned down. In 1873, the Qing government ordered the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company to transport grain from Shanghai to Tianjin by steamship, causing Qingjiangpu to decline rapidly. After the Jinpu Railway opened in 1912, Qingjiangpu declined even further. When the new Grand Canal was completed in 1959, Qingjiangpu finally ended its history as a transportation hub.
Qingjiang Mosque
The most important wharf in Qingjiangpu is next to Yuezha. It is called the Imperial Wharf (Yu Matou) because both the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors landed there during their southern inspection tours. This was once the most prosperous and lively place in Qingjiangpu.
Starting from the Ming Dynasty, Hui Muslims did business on Yuehe Street in front of the Imperial Wharf. This gradually formed the Yuehe Street Hui Muslim community in Qingjiangpu, and the center of this community is the Qingjiang Mosque.
Qingjiang Mosque was originally called Yuanpu Mosque. It was first built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and underwent large-scale renovations and expansions in 1799 (the 57th year of the Qianlong reign). In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), the Nian Army captured Qingjiangpu and destroyed the mosque. The imam, Ma Huanwen, unfortunately passed away from illness while raising funds for its reconstruction. Fortunately, an elder from Nanjing named Jiang Hengqing took over. He organized everyone to raise funds, and they finally rebuilt the main prayer hall in 1870 (the 9th year of the Tongzhi reign).
The 1870 (9th year of the Tongzhi reign) stele inscription titled 'Record of Rebuilding the Mosque Main Hall' inside the mosque tells the history of Qingjiang Mosque.
In 1910 (the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign), Qingjiang Mosque established Muying Primary School next to the mosque to teach both Chinese and Arabic. The famous historian Professor Pang Pu once studied there. Today, the school building is destroyed, and no traces remain.
To the west of the mosque once stood the former residence of Zuo Baogui, known as the Zuo Mansion. General Zuo Baogui led his troops to defend the Xuanwu Gate in Pyongyang during the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894 (the 20th year of the Guangxu reign), dealing heavy blows to the Japanese army. On September 15, General Zuo Baogui personally lit a cannon to fire. His right arm was blown off, but he bandaged the wound and kept fighting. He was eventually hit in the chest by a shell and died a heroic death at the age of 57. That same year, the Yangzhou government followed an imperial decree to build a cenotaph for Zuo Baogui next to the Puhading Tomb in Yangzhou, which is still preserved today.
Qingjiang Mosque stopped its activities and was occupied in 1966. It was renovated in 1979 and has been open ever since.
Halal food in Qingjiangpu.
There are over ten halal restaurants in Qingjiangpu. Just on the Yuehe Snack Street in front of the mosque, there are eight, and each one has its own specialty.
Liu Si Noodle Shop serves chicken noodle soup with fish balls, beef balls, and squid. The fish balls are super delicious, and the soup is excellent. It feels great to finish a bowl. However, the owner said this area will be demolished in a year or two, so they will likely have to move.
Salted goose (yanshui e) from Sha's Beef Shop.
Wonton noodles (huntun mian) from Ding Si Wonton Noodle Shop.
Little sparrows (fried mini wontons).
Seman Cafe is run by local Hui Muslims. They serve tea in the afternoon and grilled skewers at night. I ordered Arabic coffee, dates, and date milk. The atmosphere is quite nice.
Saudi perfume.
I read for a while in the cafe. There are many books on the shelves.
Finally, I bought some Dubai wheat soda.
Hexia Ancient Town.
Travel south along the Grand Canal from Qingjiangpu, and you will reach Hexia Ancient Town, not far northwest of the Huai'an Prefecture city. Hexia is the largest town in the suburbs of Huai'an. Its historical official name was Manpu. After Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty attacked the Southern Tang, he set up the Manpu Customs here and built dams and locks. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Hexia developed into an important canal town.
Because the salt fields along the coast of Huaibei produced high-quality salt, many salt merchants from the northwest and Anhui came to Huaibei during the late Ming Dynasty. The Huaibei Salt Transport Office was located in Hexia. Salt from the fields had to be shipped to Hexia for inspection before merchants sold it elsewhere. Hexia then entered its most prosperous period. Salt merchants built gardens and courtyards there. The Qing Dynasty record "Hexia Annals of Huai'an" states: "Wealthy salt merchants brought their capital and made their homes in Hexia, making the town extremely prosperous." The wealth brought by these merchants made the town's business thrive, and many Hui Muslims also came to settle in Hexia.
In 1831 (the 11th year of the Daoguang reign), Liangjiang Governor Tao Peng implemented the ticket salt law in Huaibei, requiring permits to transport salt. Many salt merchants went bankrupt quickly. This event is known as the "Salt Reform," and Hexia Ancient Town began to decline from then on.
Hexia Mosque was first built in the Ming Dynasty. In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), when the Nian Army captured Huai'an, 10 rooms of the mosque were burned down, but it was later rebuilt. After 1966, Hexia Mosque stopped its activities and four rooms were damaged. It resumed activities in 1986 and recently underwent major renovations to reach its current state.
When we visited, the Hexia Mosque was empty. Imam Sha was running a beef and lamb shop on the other side of town and only goes to the mosque when needed.
In the early years of the Republic of China, a Hui Muslim named Zhang Bu'ao opened the Kaifuxingzhai Halal Restaurant in Hexia Town. It was a famous halal restaurant at the time with 11 rooms, two of which faced the street. The building still stands today and is listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Huai'an City.
Halal snacks in Hexia Town.
The second issue of Jiangsu Muslims in 2016 featured an article titled Famous Halal Products, Restaurants, and Snacks in Huai'an, provided by the Huai'an Islamic Association. The article mentions that in the late Qing Dynasty, a Hui Muslim named Li in Hexia Town applied noodle-pulling techniques to making fried dough twists (sanzi), creating a unique version of the snack. The Li family's fried dough twists (sanzi) are made with sesame oil and no alkaline additives, allowing them to be shaped into fans, combs, pagodas, and other patterns.
Halal tea-flavored fried dough twists (sanzi) in Hexia Town today.
There is also a type of sweet cake.
Hexia Town once had a teahouse opened by a Hui Muslim named Chen Yongyuan during the Xianfeng era. The lintel above the door was inscribed with the word Halal in red, Chen Yongyuan in the middle, and Teahouse at the bottom. This piece is now in the collection of the Chuzhou Museum. Every morning, someone was sent to fetch water from the Grand Canal. After returning, they used alum to clarify the water, then boiled it to brew famous teas like Longjing and Biluochun. People came to the teahouse every morning to drink tea and chat in a constant stream.
Today, there is still a halal snack shop on Zhugan Lane in Hexia Town, where we had some very delicious shredded chicken noodles.
Wangjiaying.
Wangjiaying, now called Wangying, is located between the old Yellow River course and the Yan River. During the Ming Dynasty, the Dahe Guard was established in Huai'an Prefecture, and ten military camps were built along the Yellow River. Wangjiaying was one of them.
Because travel on the Yellow River section of the canal was slow and passing through the locks was dangerous, often leading to broken cables and sunken boats, many merchants chose to leave their boats at Qingjiangpu. They would cross the Yellow River at Wangjiaying and switch to horse-drawn carriages to continue north. Wangjiaying and Qingjiangpu gradually grew into busy towns together.
The old Yellow River course before 1855.
Wangjiaying experienced many Yellow River floods, and the town moved east three times before reaching its current location. Wangjiaying became more prosperous in the early Qing Dynasty. The Wangjiaying Gazetteer records that it was a place where southern boats and northern horses met and crowds gathered. In 1831, the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Tao Peng, implemented a salt ticket system in Huaibei. Known as the salt reform, this meant sea salt from Huaibei salt fields no longer needed to be inspected and taxed in Hexia Town. Tao Peng chose Xiba in Wangjiaying as the new distribution center for Huai salt. Because of this, Wangjiaying became the center for eighteen salt warehouses and seventy-two salt bureaus. Salt boats traveled constantly along the three-hundred-mile waterway between the Huaibei salt fields and Wangjiaying.
The rise of Wangjiaying during the Qing Dynasty led to Hui Muslims settling there. The first Hui Muslims to arrive in Wangjiaying were the Ma and Sha families, who came from Lingzhou in Gansu by way of Shandong and Zhenjiang. Later, families named Jin, Dai, Chang, Ge, Fan, Li, and Yang also settled here.
The history of the Wangjiaying Mosque is documented in the book A Century-Old Mosque in the Ancient City of Huaiyin by Imam Fan Weiming and in The Past and Present of Wangying Mosque by Mao Lifa, the former director of the Huaiyin District CPPCC Cultural and Historical Committee. I have organized that information here.
The Wangjiaying Mosque was first built during the Yongzheng reign as three thatched rooms next to the lotus pond at Wangjiapo. At the end of the Daoguang reign, it moved to the south bank of the Salt River, with Imams Chang Tingzhang and Dai Mingxuan in charge of religious affairs. Imam Chang Tingzhang, known as Third Master Chang, was originally from Jining, Shandong. He was born in 1785 in Taoyuan County, Huai'an Prefecture, Jiangsu (now Siyang). In his youth, he studied in Lingzhou, Gansu (now Lingwu, Ningxia), and after completing his studies, he visited various places in Jining, Shandong, to continue his religious education. In 1810, at the age of 26, Imam Chang Tingzhang was invited to lead the Wangjiaying Mosque. Imam Chang Tingzhang had deep knowledge of Arabic classics, astronomy, and medical theory. According to the Wangjiaying Gazetteer, a man named Third Master Tao from Hangzhou died in Huai'an during the Daoguang reign. Because it was the heat of summer, Imam Chang Tingzhang personally bought a boat to transport the body south along the Grand Canal to Hangzhou to fulfill his duty to the family.
In 1860, the Nian Army entered Wangjiaying and burned the mosque. In 1867, Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of Imam Dai Mingxuan, built a few thatched huts, and later, with donations from the community, a main prayer hall with three thatched rooms was constructed.
Imam Chang Tingzhang passed away in 1870, and Imam Dai Jingzhai took over religious affairs. In 1884, the thatched rooms were rebuilt with tile roofs. Because Imam Chang Tingzhang had studied at the Jahriyya order's Daotang in Lingzhou, Ningxia, in his youth, the Wangjiaying Mosque later invited five successive Jahriyya imams from Ningxia to lead religious affairs and teach. Subsequent imams also went to Ningxia for further study. This made the Wangjiaying Mosque one of the nine branch centers of the Banqiao Daotang in Ningxia, maintaining a very close relationship with the Banqiao Daotang in Wuzhong, Ningxia.
In 1912, the mosque built a new main gate, a south lecture hall, a kitchen, and a washroom. In 1920, with funding from the Jinshantang in Gansu and money from selling dozens of willow trees from the public cemetery, they rebuilt the three-room tiled eave structure in front of the main prayer hall and added a new three-room east lecture hall.
In 1958, the Wangjiaying Mosque moved to the east side of West Ma Road in Wangying, and in 1961, it moved to its current location because a bank needed the land to build. In 1966, during the campaign to destroy the Four Olds, the main hall's plaques reading "The Way Spreads to the Central Land," "The Faith Follows the Western Regions," and "Stop at the Ultimate Good," along with the gold-lettered Arabic plaques and the couplets reading "See the invisible, hear the soundless, rectify the mind and be sincere, become a sage or a worthy, original nature;" were all smashed or burned. The couplet continued, "The Way stands, movement brings harmony, reach others through oneself, help things and help the world, all is complete," and these were also destroyed, along with funeral equipment, while the main hall was taken over by a shoe and hat factory to use as a warehouse.
In 1979, under the leadership of Imam Ge Weili, the Wangjiaying Mosque was rebuilt in a traditional style, finishing in 1985, and after two more renovations and expansions in 2003 and 2006, it reached its current appearance.
Imam Ge Weili was born in 1924, went to Ningxia to study in 1937, became the imam of Wangjiaying Mosque after completing his training in 1945, served as the imam in 1966, and later became the vice president of the Jiangsu Islamic Association and president of the Huai'an Islamic Association. The religious affairs of the Wangjiaying Mosque are now handled by Imam Fan Weiming, a student of Imam Ge Weili.
Halal food in Wangjiaying.
The second issue of "Jiangsu Muslims" in 2016 featured an article titled "Famous Halal Products, Shops, and Foods in Huai'an," provided by the Huai'an Islamic Association, which wrote about the halal food in Wangjiaying.
In 1831 (the 11th year of the Daoguang reign), after the salt administration expanded at Xiba in Wangjiaying, Imam Dai Mingxuan of the Wangjiaying Mosque opened a halal restaurant at the north end of Yushan Street, hiring the best local chefs and making it a high-end spot where many Huai'an officials and nobles held banquets.
In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign), after the Nian Army broke through Wangjiaying, the halal restaurant and the mosque were both destroyed in the war. In 1886 (the 12th year of the Guangxu reign), with everyone's help, Imam Dai Jingzhai, the son of Imam Dai Mingxuan, reopened the halal restaurant at the North Weimen gate in Wangjiaying. The halal restaurant was forced to close after 1937, reopened after 1945, but struggled due to the following wars. After the public-private partnership in 1958, the halal restaurant merged into the Huaiyin Food and Beverage Company No. 2, with Ma Hengpu serving as manager. At the end of 1959, it moved to Beijing Road, featuring three storefront rooms in the front and four kitchen rooms in the back, with Wang Jinbiao taking over as manager. After the 1970s, Li Haiquan took over as manager and renamed it the Hui Muslims Restaurant (Huimin Fandian). In the 1980s, Ma Hengbao led the construction of a new two-story building, and Dai Peng took over as manager. In March 2003, the Hui Muslims Restaurant was restructured, the original staff were all bought out, and it became a private enterprise.
The beef jerky (niupu) made by Ma Wu in Wangjiaying is also very famous. Ma Wu's real name was Ma Guowu. During the Taiping Rebellion, his grandfather Ma Xingyuan moved from Shaanxi to Mule Horse Street (Luoma Jie) in Wangjiaying and supported his family with his ancestral beef jerky craft. By Ma Wu's generation, the business grew larger, and the storefront was rebuilt from three single-story rooms into a multi-story building. Ma Wu chose only the best lean yellow beef. After cutting it into pieces, he sprinkled it with salt and saltpeter brine, rubbed it thoroughly, and put it in a vat to cure. It took one week in winter, and a few days less in other seasons before it was ready to be taken out. After taking it out of the vat, he drained the brine and put the meat into a pot. He added old brine, rock sugar, fennel, soy sauce, almonds, galangal, and over ten other ingredients. He brought it to a boil and then simmered it over low heat for 7 hours until it was done.
In 1954, during the public-private partnership, Ma Wu became a worker at the Wangying Town Bean Products Factory. After the reform and opening up, he returned to his old trade until he passed away (guizhen) in February 1999 during Eid al-Adha (Jierbang Jie). None of his children inherited the family business, and the Wangjiaying Ma family beef jerky was lost from then on.
After this, another Hui Muslim from Wangjiaying, Fan Weishun, put up the sign for Fan's Beef Jerky (Fanji Niupu). Fan Weishun learned to make beef jerky from his father, Fan Degao, since he was a child. He innovated the traditional curing technique and figured out methods for making tender and firm beef, as well as techniques for using high, medium, low, simmering, and intense heat. This made Fan's Beef Jerky comparable to the Ma Wu beef jerky of the past.
Li's Fried Dough Sticks (Li Ji Youdatou) are an ancestral craft of the Li family, who are Hui Muslims in Wangjiaying. They put the prepared dough in a basin and use two bamboo sticks to pick it up and scrape it into a pot that is high on one side and low on the other. The finished fried dough sticks are less than 3 inches long and 3 centimeters thick. They are golden in color, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and have a soft texture. The dough for these fried dough sticks is softer than that used for regular fried dough sticks (youtiao), and it contains less alkali, alum, and salt.
In 1956, during the joint operation of individual enterprises and workshops, the Li's Fried Dough Sticks shop was merged into the Wangying Central Store, Dahua Restaurant. After the enterprise reform in 1984, the elder Mr. Li retired. No descendants inherited the craft, and Li's Fried Dough Sticks were lost from then on.
In the past, the halal pastries from the Huaiyin Hui Muslim Food Factory were very famous. They made over ten types of treats, including golden twisted dough sticks (jinsi mahua), pineapple cakes (boluo bing), and heart-shaped cakes (fanxin bing) that children loved. For the elderly, they had laughing cookies (kaikouxiao), red bean paste mooncakes (dousha yuebing), and black sesame and salt-and-pepper mooncakes (heizhima jiaoyan yuebing). Farmers also enjoyed their harvest mooncakes (fengshou yuebing) and rock sugar pastries (bingtang su).
A witness to the Grand Canal
Inside the courtyard of the Huaiyin District Library in Wangjiaying, there is a tomb for Zheng Wenying, a high-ranking official from the Ryukyu Kingdom. Zheng Wenying was a high-level translator for the Ryukyu Kingdom. His ancestors were among the thirty-six families of Fujian boatmen gifted to Ryukyu by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. After these Fujian boatmen arrived in Ryukyu, they handled navigation, shipbuilding, writing and translating diplomatic documents, and trade with China. Zheng Wenying was the fifteenth generation of this family.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, tribute envoys from Ryukyu traveled along the Grand Canal to reach Beijing. In 1761, the twenty-sixth year of the Qianlong reign, the Qingkou Post Station was established in Wangjiaying. It served as an important stop for Ryukyuan tribute envoys to rest and resupply. In 1793, the fifty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign, Zheng Wenying traveled with a tribute mission from the Ryukyu Kingdom. He fell ill and passed away while passing through the Qingkou Post Station in Wangjiaying, where he was buried.
The site of the Governor-General of Grain Transport Office in the center of Huai'an Prefecture. This location officially became the Governor-General of Grain Transport Office in 1579, the seventh year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty. In October 1945, the New Fourth Army captured Huai'an city and dismantled the main hall to transport the wood away. In August 2002, the site was excavated during urban renewal, leading to the construction of the Governor-General of Grain Transport Office Site Park.
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Halal Food Guide: Urumqi - Two Small Hui Muslim Restaurants Worth Knowing
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Urumqi food note introduces two small Hui Muslim restaurants the author visited during the trip. It preserves the original restaurant details, dishes, flavors, and local food observations while keeping the English simple and direct.
Even though I was busy with night prayers (dua) during this trip to Urumqi, I still found time to visit two small Hui Muslim eateries. The first one was a childhood favorite of Zainab's: Hepingqiao Dumpling Restaurant. It is a rare, old-school Hui Muslim sour soup dumpling shop in Urumqi. It used to be called Yiqing Dumpling Restaurant, but after they were no longer allowed to use that name, everyone just started calling it Hepingqiao Dumpling Restaurant. The old-school Hui Muslim sour soup contains tomatoes, spinach, starch jelly blocks (fenkuai), vermicelli (fentiao), mushrooms, and sliced meat. Zainab said that while the taste hasn't changed much, they used to put a lot more meat in the sour soup when she was a child, but now they give too little. They have four types of dumpling fillings: onion and meat (piyanzi rou), cabbage and meat, celery and meat, and chive and meat, which are the most common types eaten by Hui Muslims in Urumqi. I ordered a small bowl of onion and meat dumplings, and the Sichuan peppercorn flavor really stood out, which is a signature feature of Xinjiang dumplings.
The second place was Xinshenghua, a Changji Hui Muslim meatball soup (wanzi tang) restaurant. When I first came to Urumqi ten years ago, I ate at Forty-Nine Meatball Soup, but later the taste there went downhill, and I hadn't had a really good meatball soup in Urumqi since. This time, on the recommendation of an older sister, we went to Xinshenghua Meatball Soup near the Normal University. It is a traditional Changji Hui Muslim meatball soup shop with a nice environment, an open kitchen, and good service, though the prices are higher than at typical small eateries.
We ordered a set meal that included meatball soup, a small portion of beef bones, and cold dishes, with all-you-can-eat steamed layered buns (youtazi). The meatball soup tasted quite authentic, though they didn't give many meatballs, which seems to be a common situation these days. The steamed layered buns were delicious. I missed them so much while in Beijing; the flavor from the rendered lamb fat makes them much more fragrant than regular steamed rolls (huajuan). The beef bones were also excellent, stewed until fragrant and tender, and they gave us a good amount of meat; a small portion was enough for the four of us.
Overall, Xinshenghua's meatball soup is pretty good. My family also recommended Ma Guilian Sisters Meatball Soup on Ying'awati Road, so I will try to go there next time I have the chance.
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Summary: This Urumqi food note introduces two small Hui Muslim restaurants the author visited during the trip. It preserves the original restaurant details, dishes, flavors, and local food observations while keeping the English simple and direct.
Even though I was busy with night prayers (dua) during this trip to Urumqi, I still found time to visit two small Hui Muslim eateries. The first one was a childhood favorite of Zainab's: Hepingqiao Dumpling Restaurant. It is a rare, old-school Hui Muslim sour soup dumpling shop in Urumqi. It used to be called Yiqing Dumpling Restaurant, but after they were no longer allowed to use that name, everyone just started calling it Hepingqiao Dumpling Restaurant. The old-school Hui Muslim sour soup contains tomatoes, spinach, starch jelly blocks (fenkuai), vermicelli (fentiao), mushrooms, and sliced meat. Zainab said that while the taste hasn't changed much, they used to put a lot more meat in the sour soup when she was a child, but now they give too little. They have four types of dumpling fillings: onion and meat (piyanzi rou), cabbage and meat, celery and meat, and chive and meat, which are the most common types eaten by Hui Muslims in Urumqi. I ordered a small bowl of onion and meat dumplings, and the Sichuan peppercorn flavor really stood out, which is a signature feature of Xinjiang dumplings.
The second place was Xinshenghua, a Changji Hui Muslim meatball soup (wanzi tang) restaurant. When I first came to Urumqi ten years ago, I ate at Forty-Nine Meatball Soup, but later the taste there went downhill, and I hadn't had a really good meatball soup in Urumqi since. This time, on the recommendation of an older sister, we went to Xinshenghua Meatball Soup near the Normal University. It is a traditional Changji Hui Muslim meatball soup shop with a nice environment, an open kitchen, and good service, though the prices are higher than at typical small eateries.
We ordered a set meal that included meatball soup, a small portion of beef bones, and cold dishes, with all-you-can-eat steamed layered buns (youtazi). The meatball soup tasted quite authentic, though they didn't give many meatballs, which seems to be a common situation these days. The steamed layered buns were delicious. I missed them so much while in Beijing; the flavor from the rendered lamb fat makes them much more fragrant than regular steamed rolls (huajuan). The beef bones were also excellent, stewed until fragrant and tender, and they gave us a good amount of meat; a small portion was enough for the four of us.
Overall, Xinshenghua's meatball soup is pretty good. My family also recommended Ma Guilian Sisters Meatball Soup on Ying'awati Road, so I will try to go there next time I have the chance.
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Halal Travel Guide: Singapore - Arab Merchants, Kampong Glam and Muslim History
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Singapore article follows the history of Arab merchants and their ties to Kampong Glam, trade, migration, and Muslim community life. It keeps the original names, historical details, and travel observations in clear English.
The eastern part of Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and its surrounding areas are traditionally known as the Hadhramaut region. The Hadharem people who live here are a branch of the Arab people. The Hadharem have a long tradition of sailing and trade. They followed the Indian Ocean monsoon winds to East Africa, southern India, and the coasts of Southeast Asia to trade goods with locals, and some chose to settle down.
After Sir Stamford Raffles established a free trade port in Singapore in 1819, Syed Mohammed bin Harun Aljunied, the head of the Hadhrami Aljunied family who was doing business in Palembang, Sumatra, immediately led his family to Singapore. Sir Raffles gave them a warm welcome. By the mid-19th century, the Aljunied family had built a spice and batik clothing trade network connecting Bangkok, Thailand, with Chennai and Mumbai in India. They bought a piece of land southwest of Kampong Glam. This area gradually attracted other Arab merchants to open shops, so it became known as Arab Street.
Today, there is a batik and Nyonya clothing store on Arab Street called Toko Aljunied, which opened in 1940 and is owned by the Aljunied family. When Toko Aljunied first opened, it sold both perfume and batik clothing. Later, they opened a separate shop called Aljunied Brothers to sell perfume, while Toko Aljunied focused on batik and Nyonya clothing. Their Nyonya clothing is especially popular, and even the mother of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was once a customer.
Another Hadhrami-owned batik shop we visited on Arab Street is Bamadhaj Brothers. The owner, Yacob Bamadhaj, had a grandfather who came to Singapore in 1893 to trade textiles. His father officially opened the current shop on Arab Street in 1955, and Yacob later took it over. Yacob Bamadhaj speaks Chinese and is very friendly, yet he is also very sharp. You can really see the image of a Singaporean Arab merchant in him. We bought traditional batik clothing at his shop, and it has a very authentic Nanyang style when worn.
In 1824, a Hadhrami named Syed Abdul Rahman Al-Sagoff left Yemen with his son to trade spices in Singapore. In 1848, his son officially established the Alsagoff company. The Alsagoff family later achieved great commercial success and at one point dominated the spice trade in Singapore.
In 1912, the Alsagoff family founded the Alsagoff Arab School (Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah) in Kampong Glam, which is the oldest existing Islamic school in Singapore.
Habib Noh (1788-1866) was a Sufi saint (wali) of Hadhrami descent. His father left Yemen by boat in 1788 to make a living in Penang, Malaysia, and Habib Noh was born on that ship. Habib Noh grew up in Penang, but after Sir Stamford Raffles established Singapore in 1819, he moved there to live.
Habib Noh was highly respected for his piety, kindness, and generosity. During his lifetime, he was recognized as a wali, or saint, and was seen as a protector by Malay sailors. After Habib Noh passed away in 1866, thousands of people attended his funeral. Habib Noh often spent time in quiet meditation on Palmer Hill in Singapore, and he was buried at the top of the hill according to his wishes.
In 1890, the Alsagoff family, who were also from the Hadhramaut region of Yemen, built a mausoleum for Habib Noh known as Keramat Habib Noh. The term keramat originally refers to the miracles of a Sufi wali, but in Malaysia and Singapore, it is used to refer to a Sufi gongbei.
The mausoleum of Habib Noh is connected to the ground by 49 steps. Besides Habib Noh himself, his cousin Sayid Abdur Rahman bin Salim Al Habsyi is also buried here. He passed away in 1867 and was the first qadhi, or religious judge, in Singapore.
At the foot of the hill, there is also the Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque. Haji Muhammad Salleh was a merchant from Batavia, now known as Jakarta, and was a close friend of Habib Noh. While Habib Noh was still alive, he intended to build a small prayer hall (surau) for him on Palmer Hill, but it was not finished when Habib Noh passed away. The site was eventually rebuilt as the Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque in 1903.
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Summary: This Singapore article follows the history of Arab merchants and their ties to Kampong Glam, trade, migration, and Muslim community life. It keeps the original names, historical details, and travel observations in clear English.
The eastern part of Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and its surrounding areas are traditionally known as the Hadhramaut region. The Hadharem people who live here are a branch of the Arab people. The Hadharem have a long tradition of sailing and trade. They followed the Indian Ocean monsoon winds to East Africa, southern India, and the coasts of Southeast Asia to trade goods with locals, and some chose to settle down.
After Sir Stamford Raffles established a free trade port in Singapore in 1819, Syed Mohammed bin Harun Aljunied, the head of the Hadhrami Aljunied family who was doing business in Palembang, Sumatra, immediately led his family to Singapore. Sir Raffles gave them a warm welcome. By the mid-19th century, the Aljunied family had built a spice and batik clothing trade network connecting Bangkok, Thailand, with Chennai and Mumbai in India. They bought a piece of land southwest of Kampong Glam. This area gradually attracted other Arab merchants to open shops, so it became known as Arab Street.
Today, there is a batik and Nyonya clothing store on Arab Street called Toko Aljunied, which opened in 1940 and is owned by the Aljunied family. When Toko Aljunied first opened, it sold both perfume and batik clothing. Later, they opened a separate shop called Aljunied Brothers to sell perfume, while Toko Aljunied focused on batik and Nyonya clothing. Their Nyonya clothing is especially popular, and even the mother of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was once a customer.
Another Hadhrami-owned batik shop we visited on Arab Street is Bamadhaj Brothers. The owner, Yacob Bamadhaj, had a grandfather who came to Singapore in 1893 to trade textiles. His father officially opened the current shop on Arab Street in 1955, and Yacob later took it over. Yacob Bamadhaj speaks Chinese and is very friendly, yet he is also very sharp. You can really see the image of a Singaporean Arab merchant in him. We bought traditional batik clothing at his shop, and it has a very authentic Nanyang style when worn.
In 1824, a Hadhrami named Syed Abdul Rahman Al-Sagoff left Yemen with his son to trade spices in Singapore. In 1848, his son officially established the Alsagoff company. The Alsagoff family later achieved great commercial success and at one point dominated the spice trade in Singapore.
In 1912, the Alsagoff family founded the Alsagoff Arab School (Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah) in Kampong Glam, which is the oldest existing Islamic school in Singapore.
Habib Noh (1788-1866) was a Sufi saint (wali) of Hadhrami descent. His father left Yemen by boat in 1788 to make a living in Penang, Malaysia, and Habib Noh was born on that ship. Habib Noh grew up in Penang, but after Sir Stamford Raffles established Singapore in 1819, he moved there to live.
Habib Noh was highly respected for his piety, kindness, and generosity. During his lifetime, he was recognized as a wali, or saint, and was seen as a protector by Malay sailors. After Habib Noh passed away in 1866, thousands of people attended his funeral. Habib Noh often spent time in quiet meditation on Palmer Hill in Singapore, and he was buried at the top of the hill according to his wishes.
In 1890, the Alsagoff family, who were also from the Hadhramaut region of Yemen, built a mausoleum for Habib Noh known as Keramat Habib Noh. The term keramat originally refers to the miracles of a Sufi wali, but in Malaysia and Singapore, it is used to refer to a Sufi gongbei.
The mausoleum of Habib Noh is connected to the ground by 49 steps. Besides Habib Noh himself, his cousin Sayid Abdur Rahman bin Salim Al Habsyi is also buried here. He passed away in 1867 and was the first qadhi, or religious judge, in Singapore.
At the foot of the hill, there is also the Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque. Haji Muhammad Salleh was a merchant from Batavia, now known as Jakarta, and was a close friend of Habib Noh. While Habib Noh was still alive, he intended to build a small prayer hall (surau) for him on Palmer Hill, but it was not finished when Habib Noh passed away. The site was eventually rebuilt as the Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque in 1903.
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Halal Travel Guide: Singapore - Geylang Serai Malay Market and Muslim Food
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Singapore article walks through the Malay market in Geylang Serai and records food, shops, neighborhood scenes, and Malay Muslim culture. It keeps the original market details, dishes, prices, and small observations in clear English.
Geylang Serai is located near the Geylang River in eastern Singapore. Geylang likely comes from the name of a tribe of indigenous sea people (Orang Laut) who lived here when the British arrived in the early 19th century. Serai refers to the lemongrass grown in nearby plantations during the late 19th century.
Malay villages were scattered along the Geylang River in the 19th century, but there were not many people there at first. After the 1920s, as rent and living costs in downtown Singapore rose, many Malays moved to the Geylang Serai area in the east. By the 1930s, Geylang Serai had become a densely populated suburb. After World War II, more Malays settled in Geylang Serai, and it became an important Malay community in Singapore.
The Malay market (pasar) in Geylang Serai dates back to the 1920s. The Japanese turned it into an amusement park during World War II, but it returned to being a busy Malay market after the war, where local Malays came to shop. Singapore started the Geylang Serai development project in 1962. The Geylang Serai market officially opened in 1964, becoming a place for Malays to buy fresh vegetables, meat, cooked food, clothing, and various groceries. The Geylang Serai market was rebuilt between 2006 and 2010. The new market has two floors and is larger and cleaner.
Since it was built, the Geylang Serai market has been the largest Malay market in Singapore and the best place to experience Malay culture.
We first ate the classic Malay street snack Putu Piring at Haig Road Putu Piring on the first floor of the Geylang Serai market. This shop has been open since 1985. We chose the durian flavor, and they really put durian fruit inside. Putu Piring was first brought to Southeast Asia by immigrants from Fujian. To make it, you put crushed peanuts, shredded coconut, and palm sugar into rice flour and press it into a special stainless steel mold.
Walking inside from the first floor, you find a place selling all kinds of traditional Malay fruits and vegetables. Then, you go up to the second floor to find where Malays buy clothes.
After going up to the second floor, we first went to the Malay cake stall Kueh Talam Asli. Kueh Talam also originated in Indonesia. Kueh means cake, and Talam is the Indonesian word for tray. Kueh Talam refers to a cake made by steaming rice flour, coconut milk, and other ingredients in a rectangular tray. Traditional Kueh Talam usually has two layers. When making it, you put the bottom layer in the tray first, steam it until it is half-cooked, and then add the top layer. The green color in the rice cakes (kueh) comes from pandan leaf juice, the brown from coconut sugar, the yellow from sweet potato, pumpkin, or corn, and the purple from purple sweet potato or taro.
Also, this stall in the market (pasar) called Warong Keluarga has a wide variety of traditional Malay cakes and snacks that I should try next time.
Otak-otak is a fish cake that started in Palembang, Sumatra. It is made by wrapping minced fish, tapioca flour, shredded coconut, and spices in a banana leaf and grilling it. Unlike the white version in Indonesia, otak-otak in Singapore and Malaysia contains chili, shrimp paste (belacan), and turmeric, which gives it an orange-red color.
Cendol is a Southeast Asian shaved ice dessert. It features pandan and glutinous rice noodles topped with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. In traditional Javanese food, cendol usually only has green pandan noodles, unlike the versions in Singapore and Malaysia that include red beans. To show they are authentic, this cendol shop in Geylang Serai Market uses English, pinyin, Tamil, and Malay to state they do not serve red beans, which is an interesting cultural detail.
Besides Malay stalls, Geylang Serai Market also has halal Indian and Chinese stalls, showing the cultural diversity of Singapore.
We tried the classic Southeast Asian salad, rojak, at a very popular stall on the second floor of the market called Rojak & Mee Siam. Rojak is said to have started on the island of Java. It was originally a mix of fruits and vegetables with spicy palm sugar syrup, but it spread to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore with Javanese migrants and developed into many different styles.
In Singapore, rojak is mainly split into fruit rojak (rojak buah) and Indian rojak (rojak india). The one we ate was Indian rojak. Indian rojak is mostly sold by Tamil Muslim stalls (mamak stalls) and includes items like bean curd, fish cakes, tempeh, cucumber, beef lung, fried dough sticks, and eggs. Customers point to what they want at the window, then the staff cuts and heats it in the back kitchen before adding a thick, spicy, sweet sauce made from mashed sweet potatoes. It is very popular with Malay people.
Next to Kueh Talam Asli is the only Chinese stall in the market, an old shop called Chee Kong clear soup (qing tang) that opened in the 1950s. The clear soup (qing tang) can be served with longan, sweet potato, and ginkgo nuts, and you can have it hot or cold. Drinking a bowl of clear soup (qing tang) is very refreshing after eating a lot of spicy Malay food.
Besides Geylang Serai Market, the Haig Road Market & Food Centre to the west also has plenty of Malay food. At the first stall, we had the most affordable Malay boiled noodles (mee rebus), which features yellow egg noodles topped with a thick, sweet and spicy curry sauce, plus lime, green chili, and dried anchovies.
At the second stall, we had another affordable Malay snack, coconut milk rice (nasi lemak), made with rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with fried fish, sambal chili paste, a fried egg, fried peanuts, and dried anchovies.
After our main meal, we chose a classic three-layer milk tea, which gets its three colors from palm sugar, milk, and black tea for a rich flavor.
City Plaza by the Geylang River is a mall for affordable Malay clothing, and hidden on the second floor is Songkok Singapura, the last shop in Singapore that makes traditional caps (songkok) by hand. The owner, Haji Abdul Wahab, had a father who started making songkok in the 1970s, back when there were several such shops in Geylang Serai. Haji Abdul Wahab started learning to make songkok from his father as a teenager, opened his own shop at the old Geylang Serai Market at age 22, and has been doing it for 42 years since. Competition between songkok shops was very intense in the 20th century, but with the rise of machine production, Haji Abdul Wahab is now the only one left who still makes them by hand.
Besides traditional black velvet songkok, Haji Abdul Wahab also makes them in gold, white, and maroon, and many famous people, including the Sultan of Johor, have ordered from his shop. It takes Haji Abdul Wahab about an hour to make each songkok, and the peak season is during Ramadan, when the shop can receive up to 1,000 orders and his whole family helps out.
West of Geylang Serai Market is the newly built community center, Wisma Geylang Serai, which houses the Geylang Serai Malay Heritage Gallery. Although the gallery is small, it is a great place to learn about the history and culture of Geylang Serai.
Old photos of Malay people in Singapore.
The sewing machine and hat mold used by Hussain bin H. Yunos, who once made songkok in the Geylang Serai Malay Village.
Traditional wedding attire in the Jambi Kodya style from Sumatra.
Molds used for making Malay rice cakes (kuih).
Further reading:
The early history of the Malay people and Singapore
Experience Indian Muslim culture in Singapore
Taste halal Chinese food in Singapore
Eating Peranakan food (nyonya cai) in Singapore Collapse Read »
Summary: This Singapore article walks through the Malay market in Geylang Serai and records food, shops, neighborhood scenes, and Malay Muslim culture. It keeps the original market details, dishes, prices, and small observations in clear English.
Geylang Serai is located near the Geylang River in eastern Singapore. Geylang likely comes from the name of a tribe of indigenous sea people (Orang Laut) who lived here when the British arrived in the early 19th century. Serai refers to the lemongrass grown in nearby plantations during the late 19th century.
Malay villages were scattered along the Geylang River in the 19th century, but there were not many people there at first. After the 1920s, as rent and living costs in downtown Singapore rose, many Malays moved to the Geylang Serai area in the east. By the 1930s, Geylang Serai had become a densely populated suburb. After World War II, more Malays settled in Geylang Serai, and it became an important Malay community in Singapore.
The Malay market (pasar) in Geylang Serai dates back to the 1920s. The Japanese turned it into an amusement park during World War II, but it returned to being a busy Malay market after the war, where local Malays came to shop. Singapore started the Geylang Serai development project in 1962. The Geylang Serai market officially opened in 1964, becoming a place for Malays to buy fresh vegetables, meat, cooked food, clothing, and various groceries. The Geylang Serai market was rebuilt between 2006 and 2010. The new market has two floors and is larger and cleaner.
Since it was built, the Geylang Serai market has been the largest Malay market in Singapore and the best place to experience Malay culture.
We first ate the classic Malay street snack Putu Piring at Haig Road Putu Piring on the first floor of the Geylang Serai market. This shop has been open since 1985. We chose the durian flavor, and they really put durian fruit inside. Putu Piring was first brought to Southeast Asia by immigrants from Fujian. To make it, you put crushed peanuts, shredded coconut, and palm sugar into rice flour and press it into a special stainless steel mold.
Walking inside from the first floor, you find a place selling all kinds of traditional Malay fruits and vegetables. Then, you go up to the second floor to find where Malays buy clothes.
After going up to the second floor, we first went to the Malay cake stall Kueh Talam Asli. Kueh Talam also originated in Indonesia. Kueh means cake, and Talam is the Indonesian word for tray. Kueh Talam refers to a cake made by steaming rice flour, coconut milk, and other ingredients in a rectangular tray. Traditional Kueh Talam usually has two layers. When making it, you put the bottom layer in the tray first, steam it until it is half-cooked, and then add the top layer. The green color in the rice cakes (kueh) comes from pandan leaf juice, the brown from coconut sugar, the yellow from sweet potato, pumpkin, or corn, and the purple from purple sweet potato or taro.
Also, this stall in the market (pasar) called Warong Keluarga has a wide variety of traditional Malay cakes and snacks that I should try next time.
Otak-otak is a fish cake that started in Palembang, Sumatra. It is made by wrapping minced fish, tapioca flour, shredded coconut, and spices in a banana leaf and grilling it. Unlike the white version in Indonesia, otak-otak in Singapore and Malaysia contains chili, shrimp paste (belacan), and turmeric, which gives it an orange-red color.
Cendol is a Southeast Asian shaved ice dessert. It features pandan and glutinous rice noodles topped with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. In traditional Javanese food, cendol usually only has green pandan noodles, unlike the versions in Singapore and Malaysia that include red beans. To show they are authentic, this cendol shop in Geylang Serai Market uses English, pinyin, Tamil, and Malay to state they do not serve red beans, which is an interesting cultural detail.
Besides Malay stalls, Geylang Serai Market also has halal Indian and Chinese stalls, showing the cultural diversity of Singapore.
We tried the classic Southeast Asian salad, rojak, at a very popular stall on the second floor of the market called Rojak & Mee Siam. Rojak is said to have started on the island of Java. It was originally a mix of fruits and vegetables with spicy palm sugar syrup, but it spread to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore with Javanese migrants and developed into many different styles.
In Singapore, rojak is mainly split into fruit rojak (rojak buah) and Indian rojak (rojak india). The one we ate was Indian rojak. Indian rojak is mostly sold by Tamil Muslim stalls (mamak stalls) and includes items like bean curd, fish cakes, tempeh, cucumber, beef lung, fried dough sticks, and eggs. Customers point to what they want at the window, then the staff cuts and heats it in the back kitchen before adding a thick, spicy, sweet sauce made from mashed sweet potatoes. It is very popular with Malay people.
Next to Kueh Talam Asli is the only Chinese stall in the market, an old shop called Chee Kong clear soup (qing tang) that opened in the 1950s. The clear soup (qing tang) can be served with longan, sweet potato, and ginkgo nuts, and you can have it hot or cold. Drinking a bowl of clear soup (qing tang) is very refreshing after eating a lot of spicy Malay food.
Besides Geylang Serai Market, the Haig Road Market & Food Centre to the west also has plenty of Malay food. At the first stall, we had the most affordable Malay boiled noodles (mee rebus), which features yellow egg noodles topped with a thick, sweet and spicy curry sauce, plus lime, green chili, and dried anchovies.
At the second stall, we had another affordable Malay snack, coconut milk rice (nasi lemak), made with rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with fried fish, sambal chili paste, a fried egg, fried peanuts, and dried anchovies.
After our main meal, we chose a classic three-layer milk tea, which gets its three colors from palm sugar, milk, and black tea for a rich flavor.
City Plaza by the Geylang River is a mall for affordable Malay clothing, and hidden on the second floor is Songkok Singapura, the last shop in Singapore that makes traditional caps (songkok) by hand. The owner, Haji Abdul Wahab, had a father who started making songkok in the 1970s, back when there were several such shops in Geylang Serai. Haji Abdul Wahab started learning to make songkok from his father as a teenager, opened his own shop at the old Geylang Serai Market at age 22, and has been doing it for 42 years since. Competition between songkok shops was very intense in the 20th century, but with the rise of machine production, Haji Abdul Wahab is now the only one left who still makes them by hand.
Besides traditional black velvet songkok, Haji Abdul Wahab also makes them in gold, white, and maroon, and many famous people, including the Sultan of Johor, have ordered from his shop. It takes Haji Abdul Wahab about an hour to make each songkok, and the peak season is during Ramadan, when the shop can receive up to 1,000 orders and his whole family helps out.
West of Geylang Serai Market is the newly built community center, Wisma Geylang Serai, which houses the Geylang Serai Malay Heritage Gallery. Although the gallery is small, it is a great place to learn about the history and culture of Geylang Serai.
Old photos of Malay people in Singapore.
The sewing machine and hat mold used by Hussain bin H. Yunos, who once made songkok in the Geylang Serai Malay Village.
Traditional wedding attire in the Jambi Kodya style from Sumatra.
Molds used for making Malay rice cakes (kuih).
Further reading:
The early history of the Malay people and Singapore
Experience Indian Muslim culture in Singapore
Taste halal Chinese food in Singapore
Eating Peranakan food (nyonya cai) in Singapore Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Urumqi - Dawan Gongbei, Hui Muslims and Sufi Heritage
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Urumqi article visits the Dawan Gongbei and records its connection with Hui Muslim religious memory and local community life. It keeps the original shrine details, route, religious terms, and travel observations without changing the facts.
Yesterday at noon, I went to the Dawan Gongbei in Urumqi to attend a funeral (janazah) for an elder from the Luyuan Street community. Hundreds of people were there. It was very moving and showed the strong unity of the local community (jamaat).
After the funeral, I visited the graves of two historical figures at the Dawan Gongbei. The first was the elder Weijiapu (1732-1812), who was the first imam to lead the mosque in Urumqi. Elder Weijiapu was originally a Salar from Xunhua. When he was young, his hard work and love for learning made him the imam of the Jiezi Gonghe La Mosque in Xunhua. In 1763, due to conflicts between Sufi orders (menhuan) in the Hehuang region, Elder Weijiapu left to seek spiritual knowledge. He traveled through Linxia, Lanzhou, and Wuwei before moving to Hami and Turpan in Xinjiang to teach. In 1780, after the first mosque was built in the Beiliang area of Dihua, the local Muslims invited Elder Weijiapu to serve as their imam.
In the mid-18th century, Yihewan Gali, a student of the Indian Sufi leader Imam Rabbani, came to Aksu to teach the Khufiyya Sufi path. Ma Fang, a Qing dynasty military officer stationed in Aksu, accepted his teachings. Later, Ma Fang resigned from his post to spread the faith across Xinjiang. He took on five students, one of whom was Ma Pei (known as the Anjihai Master). Ma Pei went to Urumqi to teach, and Elder Weijiapu became his student. Elder Weijiapu taught at the Beiliang mosque in Dihua for nearly 30 years. He taught scripture to ordinary community members and guided Khufiyya followers in their spiritual practice. He balanced the relationships between different groups well and was respected by everyone.
After Elder Weijiapu passed away (returned to Allah), he was originally buried at the Beiliang mosque. Later, following his will, he was moved to Dawan. The cemetery there became known as the Dawan Gongbei. In 1900, the three brothers of Ma Youfu, the great-grandson of Elder Weijiapu, rebuilt the Gongbei. It was renovated again in 2013 to its current appearance.
The second historical figure at the Dawan Gongbei is Imam Ma Zongfu (1806-1885), who led the Beiliang Mosque and the Beifang Mosque in Urumqi. People called him the Datong Elder.
Imam Ma Zongfu was originally from Datong, Qinghai. When he was young, he taught at various mosques in Qinghai and practiced the Khufiyya Sufi path. Later, because Imam Ma opposed the growing and selling of opium, he was persecuted by local wealthy landowners. In 1850, he led his family through many hardships to reach Xinjiang, where they settled at the Beiliang Mosque in Dihua. At that time, the imam of the Beiliang Mosque was Qitaizhou, a student of the Khufiyya leader Ma Pei. Imam Ma Zongfu became a student of Qitaizhou and became the imam of the Beiliang Mosque in 1852.
Imam Ma led the renovation of the Beiliang Mosque in 1861. Later, he established a spiritual center (daotang) on Yinma Lane in Dihua for meditation and study. The Qing government closed Beiliang Mosque because of the anti-Qing uprising and turned it into an ancestral hall, so the local community built Beifang Mosque in 1876. Because the local community loved Imam Ma so much, they elected him as their religious leader again. After Imam Ma passed away in 1885, he was buried next to the elder's grave in Weijiapu at the Dawan gongbei, just as he requested in his will.
Collapse Read »
Summary: This Urumqi article visits the Dawan Gongbei and records its connection with Hui Muslim religious memory and local community life. It keeps the original shrine details, route, religious terms, and travel observations without changing the facts.
Yesterday at noon, I went to the Dawan Gongbei in Urumqi to attend a funeral (janazah) for an elder from the Luyuan Street community. Hundreds of people were there. It was very moving and showed the strong unity of the local community (jamaat).
After the funeral, I visited the graves of two historical figures at the Dawan Gongbei. The first was the elder Weijiapu (1732-1812), who was the first imam to lead the mosque in Urumqi. Elder Weijiapu was originally a Salar from Xunhua. When he was young, his hard work and love for learning made him the imam of the Jiezi Gonghe La Mosque in Xunhua. In 1763, due to conflicts between Sufi orders (menhuan) in the Hehuang region, Elder Weijiapu left to seek spiritual knowledge. He traveled through Linxia, Lanzhou, and Wuwei before moving to Hami and Turpan in Xinjiang to teach. In 1780, after the first mosque was built in the Beiliang area of Dihua, the local Muslims invited Elder Weijiapu to serve as their imam.
In the mid-18th century, Yihewan Gali, a student of the Indian Sufi leader Imam Rabbani, came to Aksu to teach the Khufiyya Sufi path. Ma Fang, a Qing dynasty military officer stationed in Aksu, accepted his teachings. Later, Ma Fang resigned from his post to spread the faith across Xinjiang. He took on five students, one of whom was Ma Pei (known as the Anjihai Master). Ma Pei went to Urumqi to teach, and Elder Weijiapu became his student. Elder Weijiapu taught at the Beiliang mosque in Dihua for nearly 30 years. He taught scripture to ordinary community members and guided Khufiyya followers in their spiritual practice. He balanced the relationships between different groups well and was respected by everyone.
After Elder Weijiapu passed away (returned to Allah), he was originally buried at the Beiliang mosque. Later, following his will, he was moved to Dawan. The cemetery there became known as the Dawan Gongbei. In 1900, the three brothers of Ma Youfu, the great-grandson of Elder Weijiapu, rebuilt the Gongbei. It was renovated again in 2013 to its current appearance.
The second historical figure at the Dawan Gongbei is Imam Ma Zongfu (1806-1885), who led the Beiliang Mosque and the Beifang Mosque in Urumqi. People called him the Datong Elder.
Imam Ma Zongfu was originally from Datong, Qinghai. When he was young, he taught at various mosques in Qinghai and practiced the Khufiyya Sufi path. Later, because Imam Ma opposed the growing and selling of opium, he was persecuted by local wealthy landowners. In 1850, he led his family through many hardships to reach Xinjiang, where they settled at the Beiliang Mosque in Dihua. At that time, the imam of the Beiliang Mosque was Qitaizhou, a student of the Khufiyya leader Ma Pei. Imam Ma Zongfu became a student of Qitaizhou and became the imam of the Beiliang Mosque in 1852.
Imam Ma led the renovation of the Beiliang Mosque in 1861. Later, he established a spiritual center (daotang) on Yinma Lane in Dihua for meditation and study. The Qing government closed Beiliang Mosque because of the anti-Qing uprising and turned it into an ancestral hall, so the local community built Beifang Mosque in 1876. Because the local community loved Imam Ma so much, they elected him as their religious leader again. After Imam Ma passed away in 1885, he was buried next to the elder's grave in Weijiapu at the Dawan gongbei, just as he requested in his will.
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Halal Travel Guide: Perak, Malaysia - Royal Town, Sultan Palace and Night Market
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Perak travel account visits the royal town of the Sultan of Perak and a busy Malay night market. It preserves the original details on palace streets, market food, local movement, and cultural scenes in plain English.
Kuala Kangsar is located north of Ipoh, the capital of Perak state in Malaysia, and has been the royal city of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. Unlike Ipoh, which is mainly Chinese, Kuala Kangsar is an authentic Malay town where you can experience pure Malay village (kampung) life.
We took a bus from Ipoh to Kuala Kangsar in the afternoon and arrived just in time for the Friday night market (Pasar Minggu Setiap Jumaat) in front of the Kuala Kangsar main market. The variety of vegetables, fruits, and local snacks was overwhelming, offering a refreshing change after visiting several Chinese-majority cities.
We bought some Malay-style spring rolls (popia) at the first stall. Malay spring rolls originated from immigrants from southern Fujian and Chaoshan. They are filled with bean sprouts and sweet sauce, then rolled up and can be eaten either fried or fresh.
At the second stall, we bought satay skewers, which included both beef and chicken. Satay originated on the island of Java, developed by Javanese people based on the South Asian kebabs brought by Indian merchants. The word satay comes from the South Indian Tamil word 'catai,' which literally means 'meat'. After the 19th century, Javanese people brought satay to the Malay Peninsula, and it became a classic Malay snack.
We bought some boiled sweet corn at the third stall.
We had a cup of iced soy milk (air soya) and a serving of steamed rice noodles (putu mayam). Putu mayam originated in South India and Sri Lanka and was brought to Malaysia by Tamil immigrants. It is made by mixing rice flour with coconut milk and pressing it through a machine similar to a noodle press. It is served with brown sugar and shredded coconut.
We also saw two types of traditional rice dumplings, ketupat and lontong. Ketupat is a type of rice dumpling from the Java region, wrapped in palm or coconut leaves into a diamond or triangular shape, while lontong is wrapped in banana leaves into a cylindrical shape. Legend has it that Sunan Kalijaga, one of the nine saints (Wali Sanga) of Javanese Islam, introduced ketupat in the 15th century, and it became a special food for Ramadan in many parts of Java and Indonesia. The crisscrossed palm leaves symbolize the sins people have committed, while the white rice inside symbolizes seeking forgiveness through fasting.
Stuffed tofu (tauhu sumbat) is a Malay dish learned from Hakka stuffed tofu. It is fried tofu filled with shredded carrots and bean sprouts, served with sambal or sweet chili sauce. It is a classic snack for breaking the fast during Ramadan.
The classic Malay street snack steamed rice cake (putu piring) was first brought to Malaysia by Fujian immigrants. It is made by pressing rice flour with crushed peanuts, shredded coconut, and palm sugar inside a special stainless steel mold.
We took the snacks we bought at the Kuala Kangsar night market back to Hotel Casuarina by the Perak River.
From top to bottom, there are satay meat skewers and rice cakes (ketupat) from the Javanese, steamed rice flour noodles (putu mayam) from the South Indian Tamils, and stuffed tofu from the Hakka Chinese. This shows the diversity and inclusion of Malay cuisine.
The hotel where we stayed is likely the largest in Kuala Kangsar. We could eat breakfast on the terrace by the Perak River. They had traditional Malay coconut milk rice (nasi lemak) and chicken curry. White porridge with fried peanuts and anchovies is also a classic Malay food pairing.
After breakfast, we followed the Perak River east into the heart of the Perak Sultan's royal city, a small hill called Bukit Chandan. Compared to the Kuala Kangsar town center, the environment in Bukit Chandan is especially nice, with clean, tidy streets and lots of greenery.
The first royal building we saw was the Ulu Palace (Istana Ulu), built between 1898 and 1903 by the 28th Sultan of Perak, Idris I, who reigned from 1887 to 1916. The palace blends neoclassical, Renaissance, and Moorish styles. The roof tiles came from France, the walls and floor tiles from Italy, and the wood was sourced locally. People say all the imported materials were shipped via the Perak River, while the wood was hauled by elephants. The Ulu Palace was converted into an exhibition hall in 2003 by the 34th Sultan, Azlan Shah, but it has been closed since 2018.
Sultan Idris I ascended the throne in 1887 and visited the United Kingdom in 1888 at the invitation of Queen Victoria. Under his rule, towns in Perak developed rapidly, the population exceeded 200,000, rubber plantations expanded, and tin production increased significantly. In 1896, Sultan Idris I signed the Federation Treaty with the Sultans of Pahang and Selangor and the Yamtuan Besar (the title for the supreme ruler of Negeri Sembilan). They merged Perak, Pahang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan into the Federated Malay States, handing real power to the British and keeping authority only over matters involving Malay customs and religion.
East of the Ulu Palace is the Ubudiah Mosque (Masjid Ubudiah), commissioned by Sultan Idris I and built between 1913 and 1917. It is the royal mosque of the Sultan of Perak. Sultan Idris I fell seriously ill in 1911 and made a dua that he would build a mosque if he recovered. He recovered as expected, so he hired British architect Arthur Benison Hubback to design and build the Ubudiah Mosque. Arthur designed many Indo-Saracenic style buildings for British Malaya, including the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Jamek Mosque, and the National Textile Museum.
The Ubudiah Mosque also features the classic Indo-Saracenic style, with tall golden Mughal onion domes and a main structure built from marble imported from Italy and Britain. Construction began in 1913, but the marble shipped from Italy was crushed during a fight between two of the Sultan's elephants, forcing them to order more from Italy. World War I broke out soon after, so the marble had to travel through South Africa before finally arriving. Sultan Idris I passed away in 1916 without seeing the mosque finished, and it was not officially opened until 1918 by his successor, Sultan Abdul Jalil.
Next to the Ubudiah Mosque is the Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum, built in 1915. It holds the graves of eight Sultans of Perak—the 26th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, and 34th—along with many royal family members, all housed in a Mughal-style building.
The 26th Sultan of Perak, Abdullah II (reigned 1874–1877), signed the Pangkor Treaty with the British in 1874. This legalized British control over Malay rulers and remains a major event in modern Malaysian history.
In 1875, Sultan Abdullah II chaired a meeting where he agreed to let local Malay nationalists start an anti-British struggle, which led to the assassination of James W. W. Birch, the British colonial official who actually controlled Perak. After Birch was assassinated, British troops arrived from Hong Kong and Burma to reinforce their position. The Malay people resisted bravely and killed several British officers, but they were defeated and captured after more than a year of fighting.
In 1877, Sultan Abdullah was deposed and exiled to the Seychelles. He later lived in Singapore and Penang for many years before being allowed to return to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar in 1922. He died there shortly after and was buried in the royal mausoleum.
Next to the Ubudiah Mosque is a traditional Malay village (kampung), where you can see traditional Malay stilt houses everywhere. The most famous one is called Baitul An-Nur, which was built in 1912 by master Malay craftsman Tukang Sofian for the wife of the Perak prince, Raja Harun Al Rashid. This place was once open as an exhibition hall, but it has been abandoned for a long time.
Continuing east from the Ubudiah Mosque into the valley, you reach the Istana Kenangan, the only palace in Malaysia with bamboo walls. The Istana Kenangan was commissioned by the 30th Sultan of Perak, Iskandar, after a great flood in 1926. It was built by Malay carpenter Enci Sepian and his two sons, and because it sits in the valley, it is also known as the Valley Palace. It served as the Sultan's personal residence from 1931 to 1933. After the new Istana Iskandariah was completed in 1933, it became a place for the Sultan to hold ceremonies and host guests during festivals.
Kenangan Palace is a rare example of a traditional Malay palace from that era built entirely without using any nails. The floor plan is shaped like a sword sheath, with the Sultan's bedroom at the hilt and the Sultan's throne (Singgahsana) further ahead. The palace walls are woven with diamond-shaped lattice (Kelarai), a very distinctive traditional Malay craft.
Up the hill from Kenangan Palace stands the more majestic Iskandariah Palace (Istana Iskandariah). It was commissioned by Sultan Iskandar of Perak in 1933 and has been the residence of the Sultan of Perak ever since. In 2007, it hosted the grand wedding of Prince Raja Nazrin Shah. Because it is the current Sultan's residence, the palace is not open to the public, so you can only look up at it from the foot of the hill.
Iskandariah Palace uses the Indo-Saracenic architectural style that was popular at the time, featuring Mughal onion domes and Moorish arches, similar to the style of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The palace faces the Perak River and has one large dome and four smaller ones. Inside are the Sultan's suite and the princess's bedroom, as well as a banquet hall, living room, billiard room, music room, and council chamber.
Perak River
After touring the Perak Sultan's royal city, we returned to the town of Kuala Kangsar and ate at a South Indian nasi kandar restaurant. The owner is from Chennai on the east coast of South India, which is also the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. South Indian nasi kandar is known for its wide variety of curries to choose from. We picked curry mutton, curry squid, and curry fish, which were both delicious and convenient.
We met a retired Malay teacher in the restaurant. When she found out we were tourists from China, she insisted on paying our bill and invited us to her home. It was a pity we couldn't go because we had to catch a train, but we truly felt the warmth of the Malay people.
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Summary: This Perak travel account visits the royal town of the Sultan of Perak and a busy Malay night market. It preserves the original details on palace streets, market food, local movement, and cultural scenes in plain English.
Kuala Kangsar is located north of Ipoh, the capital of Perak state in Malaysia, and has been the royal city of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. Unlike Ipoh, which is mainly Chinese, Kuala Kangsar is an authentic Malay town where you can experience pure Malay village (kampung) life.
We took a bus from Ipoh to Kuala Kangsar in the afternoon and arrived just in time for the Friday night market (Pasar Minggu Setiap Jumaat) in front of the Kuala Kangsar main market. The variety of vegetables, fruits, and local snacks was overwhelming, offering a refreshing change after visiting several Chinese-majority cities.
We bought some Malay-style spring rolls (popia) at the first stall. Malay spring rolls originated from immigrants from southern Fujian and Chaoshan. They are filled with bean sprouts and sweet sauce, then rolled up and can be eaten either fried or fresh.
At the second stall, we bought satay skewers, which included both beef and chicken. Satay originated on the island of Java, developed by Javanese people based on the South Asian kebabs brought by Indian merchants. The word satay comes from the South Indian Tamil word 'catai,' which literally means 'meat'. After the 19th century, Javanese people brought satay to the Malay Peninsula, and it became a classic Malay snack.
We bought some boiled sweet corn at the third stall.
We had a cup of iced soy milk (air soya) and a serving of steamed rice noodles (putu mayam). Putu mayam originated in South India and Sri Lanka and was brought to Malaysia by Tamil immigrants. It is made by mixing rice flour with coconut milk and pressing it through a machine similar to a noodle press. It is served with brown sugar and shredded coconut.
We also saw two types of traditional rice dumplings, ketupat and lontong. Ketupat is a type of rice dumpling from the Java region, wrapped in palm or coconut leaves into a diamond or triangular shape, while lontong is wrapped in banana leaves into a cylindrical shape. Legend has it that Sunan Kalijaga, one of the nine saints (Wali Sanga) of Javanese Islam, introduced ketupat in the 15th century, and it became a special food for Ramadan in many parts of Java and Indonesia. The crisscrossed palm leaves symbolize the sins people have committed, while the white rice inside symbolizes seeking forgiveness through fasting.
Stuffed tofu (tauhu sumbat) is a Malay dish learned from Hakka stuffed tofu. It is fried tofu filled with shredded carrots and bean sprouts, served with sambal or sweet chili sauce. It is a classic snack for breaking the fast during Ramadan.
The classic Malay street snack steamed rice cake (putu piring) was first brought to Malaysia by Fujian immigrants. It is made by pressing rice flour with crushed peanuts, shredded coconut, and palm sugar inside a special stainless steel mold.
We took the snacks we bought at the Kuala Kangsar night market back to Hotel Casuarina by the Perak River.
From top to bottom, there are satay meat skewers and rice cakes (ketupat) from the Javanese, steamed rice flour noodles (putu mayam) from the South Indian Tamils, and stuffed tofu from the Hakka Chinese. This shows the diversity and inclusion of Malay cuisine.
The hotel where we stayed is likely the largest in Kuala Kangsar. We could eat breakfast on the terrace by the Perak River. They had traditional Malay coconut milk rice (nasi lemak) and chicken curry. White porridge with fried peanuts and anchovies is also a classic Malay food pairing.
After breakfast, we followed the Perak River east into the heart of the Perak Sultan's royal city, a small hill called Bukit Chandan. Compared to the Kuala Kangsar town center, the environment in Bukit Chandan is especially nice, with clean, tidy streets and lots of greenery.
The first royal building we saw was the Ulu Palace (Istana Ulu), built between 1898 and 1903 by the 28th Sultan of Perak, Idris I, who reigned from 1887 to 1916. The palace blends neoclassical, Renaissance, and Moorish styles. The roof tiles came from France, the walls and floor tiles from Italy, and the wood was sourced locally. People say all the imported materials were shipped via the Perak River, while the wood was hauled by elephants. The Ulu Palace was converted into an exhibition hall in 2003 by the 34th Sultan, Azlan Shah, but it has been closed since 2018.
Sultan Idris I ascended the throne in 1887 and visited the United Kingdom in 1888 at the invitation of Queen Victoria. Under his rule, towns in Perak developed rapidly, the population exceeded 200,000, rubber plantations expanded, and tin production increased significantly. In 1896, Sultan Idris I signed the Federation Treaty with the Sultans of Pahang and Selangor and the Yamtuan Besar (the title for the supreme ruler of Negeri Sembilan). They merged Perak, Pahang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan into the Federated Malay States, handing real power to the British and keeping authority only over matters involving Malay customs and religion.
East of the Ulu Palace is the Ubudiah Mosque (Masjid Ubudiah), commissioned by Sultan Idris I and built between 1913 and 1917. It is the royal mosque of the Sultan of Perak. Sultan Idris I fell seriously ill in 1911 and made a dua that he would build a mosque if he recovered. He recovered as expected, so he hired British architect Arthur Benison Hubback to design and build the Ubudiah Mosque. Arthur designed many Indo-Saracenic style buildings for British Malaya, including the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Jamek Mosque, and the National Textile Museum.
The Ubudiah Mosque also features the classic Indo-Saracenic style, with tall golden Mughal onion domes and a main structure built from marble imported from Italy and Britain. Construction began in 1913, but the marble shipped from Italy was crushed during a fight between two of the Sultan's elephants, forcing them to order more from Italy. World War I broke out soon after, so the marble had to travel through South Africa before finally arriving. Sultan Idris I passed away in 1916 without seeing the mosque finished, and it was not officially opened until 1918 by his successor, Sultan Abdul Jalil.
Next to the Ubudiah Mosque is the Al-Ghufran Royal Mausoleum, built in 1915. It holds the graves of eight Sultans of Perak—the 26th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, and 34th—along with many royal family members, all housed in a Mughal-style building.
The 26th Sultan of Perak, Abdullah II (reigned 1874–1877), signed the Pangkor Treaty with the British in 1874. This legalized British control over Malay rulers and remains a major event in modern Malaysian history.
In 1875, Sultan Abdullah II chaired a meeting where he agreed to let local Malay nationalists start an anti-British struggle, which led to the assassination of James W. W. Birch, the British colonial official who actually controlled Perak. After Birch was assassinated, British troops arrived from Hong Kong and Burma to reinforce their position. The Malay people resisted bravely and killed several British officers, but they were defeated and captured after more than a year of fighting.
In 1877, Sultan Abdullah was deposed and exiled to the Seychelles. He later lived in Singapore and Penang for many years before being allowed to return to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar in 1922. He died there shortly after and was buried in the royal mausoleum.
Next to the Ubudiah Mosque is a traditional Malay village (kampung), where you can see traditional Malay stilt houses everywhere. The most famous one is called Baitul An-Nur, which was built in 1912 by master Malay craftsman Tukang Sofian for the wife of the Perak prince, Raja Harun Al Rashid. This place was once open as an exhibition hall, but it has been abandoned for a long time.
Continuing east from the Ubudiah Mosque into the valley, you reach the Istana Kenangan, the only palace in Malaysia with bamboo walls. The Istana Kenangan was commissioned by the 30th Sultan of Perak, Iskandar, after a great flood in 1926. It was built by Malay carpenter Enci Sepian and his two sons, and because it sits in the valley, it is also known as the Valley Palace. It served as the Sultan's personal residence from 1931 to 1933. After the new Istana Iskandariah was completed in 1933, it became a place for the Sultan to hold ceremonies and host guests during festivals.
Kenangan Palace is a rare example of a traditional Malay palace from that era built entirely without using any nails. The floor plan is shaped like a sword sheath, with the Sultan's bedroom at the hilt and the Sultan's throne (Singgahsana) further ahead. The palace walls are woven with diamond-shaped lattice (Kelarai), a very distinctive traditional Malay craft.
Up the hill from Kenangan Palace stands the more majestic Iskandariah Palace (Istana Iskandariah). It was commissioned by Sultan Iskandar of Perak in 1933 and has been the residence of the Sultan of Perak ever since. In 2007, it hosted the grand wedding of Prince Raja Nazrin Shah. Because it is the current Sultan's residence, the palace is not open to the public, so you can only look up at it from the foot of the hill.
Iskandariah Palace uses the Indo-Saracenic architectural style that was popular at the time, featuring Mughal onion domes and Moorish arches, similar to the style of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The palace faces the Perak River and has one large dome and four smaller ones. Inside are the Sultan's suite and the princess's bedroom, as well as a banquet hall, living room, billiard room, music room, and council chamber.
Perak River
After touring the Perak Sultan's royal city, we returned to the town of Kuala Kangsar and ate at a South Indian nasi kandar restaurant. The owner is from Chennai on the east coast of South India, which is also the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. South Indian nasi kandar is known for its wide variety of curries to choose from. We picked curry mutton, curry squid, and curry fish, which were both delicious and convenient.
We met a retired Malay teacher in the restaurant. When she found out we were tourists from China, she insisted on paying our bill and invited us to her home. It was a pity we couldn't go because we had to catch a train, but we truly felt the warmth of the Malay people.
Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Malaysia - Chinese-Style Mosque and Jumuah Prayer
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Malaysia article records Friday prayer at a Chinese-style mosque and the author observations of mosque space, community life, and worship. It keeps the original religious terms, place details, and cultural notes in a Muslim voice.
At noon, we took a taxi from Ipoh Old Town to the Muhammadiah Mosque in Tasek, in the northern suburbs, for Friday prayers. Since we had some time before the service started, we took a look around the mosque. The Muhammadiah Mosque began in 1973. It was rebuilt between 2011 and 2013 by the Ipoh branch of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association. It is the first mosque in Malaysia built in a purely Chinese style (the one in Kelantan has a Thai style) and was completed one year before the Malacca Chinese Mosque. The glazed tiles on the roof of the main prayer hall were fired in Luoyang, and you can see hibiscus patterns on the roof ridges.
You can see Chinese characters everywhere inside the mosque. There are four couplets on the three main gates, which read: 'The pure and true faith has descended since ancient times, the mysteries of the true scripture are passed down for ten thousand generations.' 'The pure faith is unique and follows the middle path, the true religion is peerless and transcends the universe.' 'Cleanse the heart and body to worship the Lord, be sincere and reverent to seek success in both worlds.' 'All Muslims in the world are one family, all within the four seas are brothers.' Inside the main hall, there is another couplet: 'Endure all hardships to observe the one-month fast, in all your busyness do not miss the five daily prayers.' It is clear that the Chinese proficiency of the Hui Muslims here is quite good.
Besides religious practice, the mosque often holds cultural events to introduce traditional Chinese culture to Malay brothers (dosti). During the Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival, the mosque often holds exchange activities, such as teaching Malay brothers (dosti) how to wrap rice dumplings (zongzi).
As Friday prayer time approached, the Ipoh Chinese mosque was already packed with brothers (gaomu). The main hall, corridors, and courtyard were almost full. I observed that most of the brothers (gaomu) were Malay brothers (dosti). There were also some South Asian brothers (dosti) and a small number of foreign brothers (dosti). The number of Chinese brothers (dosti) was relatively small, and they were mostly elderly. At the entrance, a Chinese lady was helping everyone, and she was very enthusiastic.
Before the Friday prayers began, Dato' Xie Zhuoran, the chairman of the Ipoh branch of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association, gave a sermon (wa'z) in Malay. Although I did not understand the language, I could feel that Chairman Xie was speaking very vividly. After the prayers, I chatted with Chairman Xie and the lady about the situation of Chinese Muslims in Malaysia. Currently, there are about 60,000 Chinese Muslims in Malaysia. Most young people live and work in the Klang Valley area centered on Kuala Lumpur, while the Chinese Muslims in Ipoh are mostly middle-aged and elderly. Chairman Xie is a doctor by profession. He converted to Islam after marrying his Malay wife, and marriage is one of the main reasons why Chinese people in Malaysia convert to Islam.
Opposite the Ipoh Chinese mosque is a large food court. to the Malay mixed rice (nasi campur), Hainanese chicken rice is also particularly popular with Malay brothers (dosti). Chairman Xie said he also likes the chicken rice at this place. I feel that Hainanese chicken rice is truly a classic food loved by all ethnic groups in Malaysia. In many places, you can see that the chicken rice made by Malay brothers (dosti) is also very authentic, no less than that made by Chinese people.
Further reading:
Tasting halal Chinese food in Malaysia
Halal Chinese food in Penang, Malaysia
Taste halal Chinese food in Singapore Collapse Read »
Summary: This Malaysia article records Friday prayer at a Chinese-style mosque and the author observations of mosque space, community life, and worship. It keeps the original religious terms, place details, and cultural notes in a Muslim voice.
At noon, we took a taxi from Ipoh Old Town to the Muhammadiah Mosque in Tasek, in the northern suburbs, for Friday prayers. Since we had some time before the service started, we took a look around the mosque. The Muhammadiah Mosque began in 1973. It was rebuilt between 2011 and 2013 by the Ipoh branch of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association. It is the first mosque in Malaysia built in a purely Chinese style (the one in Kelantan has a Thai style) and was completed one year before the Malacca Chinese Mosque. The glazed tiles on the roof of the main prayer hall were fired in Luoyang, and you can see hibiscus patterns on the roof ridges.
You can see Chinese characters everywhere inside the mosque. There are four couplets on the three main gates, which read: 'The pure and true faith has descended since ancient times, the mysteries of the true scripture are passed down for ten thousand generations.' 'The pure faith is unique and follows the middle path, the true religion is peerless and transcends the universe.' 'Cleanse the heart and body to worship the Lord, be sincere and reverent to seek success in both worlds.' 'All Muslims in the world are one family, all within the four seas are brothers.' Inside the main hall, there is another couplet: 'Endure all hardships to observe the one-month fast, in all your busyness do not miss the five daily prayers.' It is clear that the Chinese proficiency of the Hui Muslims here is quite good.
Besides religious practice, the mosque often holds cultural events to introduce traditional Chinese culture to Malay brothers (dosti). During the Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival, the mosque often holds exchange activities, such as teaching Malay brothers (dosti) how to wrap rice dumplings (zongzi).
As Friday prayer time approached, the Ipoh Chinese mosque was already packed with brothers (gaomu). The main hall, corridors, and courtyard were almost full. I observed that most of the brothers (gaomu) were Malay brothers (dosti). There were also some South Asian brothers (dosti) and a small number of foreign brothers (dosti). The number of Chinese brothers (dosti) was relatively small, and they were mostly elderly. At the entrance, a Chinese lady was helping everyone, and she was very enthusiastic.
Before the Friday prayers began, Dato' Xie Zhuoran, the chairman of the Ipoh branch of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association, gave a sermon (wa'z) in Malay. Although I did not understand the language, I could feel that Chairman Xie was speaking very vividly. After the prayers, I chatted with Chairman Xie and the lady about the situation of Chinese Muslims in Malaysia. Currently, there are about 60,000 Chinese Muslims in Malaysia. Most young people live and work in the Klang Valley area centered on Kuala Lumpur, while the Chinese Muslims in Ipoh are mostly middle-aged and elderly. Chairman Xie is a doctor by profession. He converted to Islam after marrying his Malay wife, and marriage is one of the main reasons why Chinese people in Malaysia convert to Islam.
Opposite the Ipoh Chinese mosque is a large food court. to the Malay mixed rice (nasi campur), Hainanese chicken rice is also particularly popular with Malay brothers (dosti). Chairman Xie said he also likes the chicken rice at this place. I feel that Hainanese chicken rice is truly a classic food loved by all ethnic groups in Malaysia. In many places, you can see that the chicken rice made by Malay brothers (dosti) is also very authentic, no less than that made by Chinese people.
Further reading:
Tasting halal Chinese food in Malaysia
Halal Chinese food in Penang, Malaysia
Taste halal Chinese food in Singapore Collapse Read »
Halal Food Guide: Malaysia - Nyonya Cuisine in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Malaysia food note follows Peranakan Nyonya dishes in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur. It preserves the original restaurant details, dish names, textures, prices, and travel observations while keeping the English natural.
On Jalan Dhoby, a century-old street in the old town of Johor Bahru, sits Nyonya Dynasty, the first halal-certified Nyonya restaurant in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The owners, Lu Xucheng and Li Baoshan, originally ran a travel agency. When business took a hard hit in early 2020, they decided to turn part of their office space into a Nyonya cafe. The two owners learned their craft from an authentic Nyonya chef in Malacca and invited him to visit the shop every week to supervise until their dishes were consistent. Because customers loved their Nyonya food, they moved the shop to Jalan Dhoby in the old town of Johor Bahru in 2022 and officially named it Nyonya Dynasty.
We ordered their signature Nyonya trio, which includes Nyonya clam rice noodles (lala mifen), fried shrimp wontons, and shrimp paste chicken wings. We also ordered grilled Nyonya fish, Nyonya okra, and cendol (jianrui). Lala means clams. They buy fresh clams every morning, tap each one to remove the sand, simmer them for three hours to make a rich broth, and then add bird's eye chili, scallions, and garlic. The grilled fish and okra are both topped with a signature Nyonya tamarind sauce (asam), which has a unique spicy and sour flavor. Their cendol is based on the owner's mother's family recipe. The palm sugar is simmered for two to three hours, and they use freshly squeezed coconut milk, making the texture very rich.
Whether it is halal Chinese food or halal Nyonya food, the Klang Valley area where Kuala Lumpur is located has the most options in Malaysia. There are three halal Nyonya restaurants just inside the NU Sentral mall opposite KL Sentral station, which is perfect for traveling friends (dostis) to stop and eat.
We ate at the largest of the three, Peranakan Place, which has several locations in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. We ordered pandan coconut rice served with pandan-wrapped chicken, dried anchovies, and sambal sauce, fern shoots (paku) with shrimp paste (belacan), Nyonya minced meat tofu, and drank blue pea flower tea and barley lime water.
Fern shoots (paku) are the tender leaves of ferns. They are a classic wild vegetable from the Malaysian mountains and are known as the king of mountain vegetables. In Malaysia, fern shoots are often stir-fried with sambal sauce, but pairing them with shrimp paste (belacan) is also a classic Nyonya way to eat them. Shrimp paste (belacan), also known as malazhan, is made by steaming and mashing small silver shrimp into a paste, fermenting it, and then frying it with chili and other seasonings. It has a very unique taste. People who love it find the shrimp paste spicy and appetizing, while those who don't think it has a pungent, fermented smell.
Further reading: Eating Nyonya food in Singapore Collapse Read »
Summary: This Malaysia food note follows Peranakan Nyonya dishes in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur. It preserves the original restaurant details, dish names, textures, prices, and travel observations while keeping the English natural.
On Jalan Dhoby, a century-old street in the old town of Johor Bahru, sits Nyonya Dynasty, the first halal-certified Nyonya restaurant in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The owners, Lu Xucheng and Li Baoshan, originally ran a travel agency. When business took a hard hit in early 2020, they decided to turn part of their office space into a Nyonya cafe. The two owners learned their craft from an authentic Nyonya chef in Malacca and invited him to visit the shop every week to supervise until their dishes were consistent. Because customers loved their Nyonya food, they moved the shop to Jalan Dhoby in the old town of Johor Bahru in 2022 and officially named it Nyonya Dynasty.
We ordered their signature Nyonya trio, which includes Nyonya clam rice noodles (lala mifen), fried shrimp wontons, and shrimp paste chicken wings. We also ordered grilled Nyonya fish, Nyonya okra, and cendol (jianrui). Lala means clams. They buy fresh clams every morning, tap each one to remove the sand, simmer them for three hours to make a rich broth, and then add bird's eye chili, scallions, and garlic. The grilled fish and okra are both topped with a signature Nyonya tamarind sauce (asam), which has a unique spicy and sour flavor. Their cendol is based on the owner's mother's family recipe. The palm sugar is simmered for two to three hours, and they use freshly squeezed coconut milk, making the texture very rich.
Whether it is halal Chinese food or halal Nyonya food, the Klang Valley area where Kuala Lumpur is located has the most options in Malaysia. There are three halal Nyonya restaurants just inside the NU Sentral mall opposite KL Sentral station, which is perfect for traveling friends (dostis) to stop and eat.
We ate at the largest of the three, Peranakan Place, which has several locations in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. We ordered pandan coconut rice served with pandan-wrapped chicken, dried anchovies, and sambal sauce, fern shoots (paku) with shrimp paste (belacan), Nyonya minced meat tofu, and drank blue pea flower tea and barley lime water.
Fern shoots (paku) are the tender leaves of ferns. They are a classic wild vegetable from the Malaysian mountains and are known as the king of mountain vegetables. In Malaysia, fern shoots are often stir-fried with sambal sauce, but pairing them with shrimp paste (belacan) is also a classic Nyonya way to eat them. Shrimp paste (belacan), also known as malazhan, is made by steaming and mashing small silver shrimp into a paste, fermenting it, and then frying it with chili and other seasonings. It has a very unique taste. People who love it find the shrimp paste spicy and appetizing, while those who don't think it has a pungent, fermented smell.
Further reading: Eating Nyonya food in Singapore Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Singapore - Malay History, Muslim Roots and Early Trade
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Singapore article explains early Malay history and the city connection with regional Muslim trade and settlement. It keeps the original historical facts, names, museum details, and travel observations in clear English.
The Kingdom of Singapore.
On a small path in Fort Canning Park, Singapore, hides the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah (Keramat Sultan Iskandar Shah), the legendary last king of Singapore. There is still no final conclusion about the true identity of Iskandar Shah.
According to the Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu), written during the Malacca Sultanate, Iskandar Shah was originally a prince from Palembang, Srivijaya. He ruled Singapore from 1389 to 1398, fled after an invasion by the Majapahit Empire, and founded the city of Malacca in 1402. Iskandar means Alexander in Persian. Based on his Persian name, people guess he likely converted to Islam, but it is unclear if he converted while in Singapore or Malacca.
The Malay Annals record that to punish one of his concubines for adultery, Iskandar Shah ordered her to be stripped naked in public. To take revenge on the Sultan, the concubine's father secretly sent a message to the Majapahit Empire, promising to support their invasion of Singapore. In 1398, the Majapahit Empire sent a massive fleet of 300 large ships and hundreds of small boats to invade Singapore. The Majapahit army besieged Iskandar Shah's castle for a month but could not break through. Eventually, the concubine's father ordered the city gates to be opened, and the Majapahit army rushed into the castle and slaughtered the people. Iskandar Shah fled to Malacca, where he established the Malacca Sultanate.
The History of Ming (Ming Shi) contains a different record regarding the identity of Iskandar Shah. The entry for Malacca in Volume 325 of the History of Ming records that the Malacca chieftain Parameswara was granted the title of King of Malacca by the Ming Dynasty in the third year of the Yongle reign (1405). After Parameswara died, his son Megat Iskandar Shah traveled to the Ming Dynasty in the twelfth year of the Yongle reign (1414) to receive his title and later frequently sent tribute to the Ming court. Therefore, he should be the second Sultan of the Malacca Sultanate.
When the British landed on Singapore Island in 1819, the island's leader, Temenggong Abdul Rahman, told them that the hill in the dense forest was called Forbidden Hill (Bukit Larangan) and that commoners were not allowed to go up. Local Malays believe that an ancient king of Singapore once built a palace here.
After the British occupied Singapore, they cleared the dense forest on Forbidden Hill and found many brick ruins on the north and east slopes, with the largest area being the platform where the tomb is located. After 1822, more and more people believed this was the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah. Since 1984, archaeologists have found thousands of 14th-century artifacts near the tomb, many from China and Java, but unfortunately, no evidence of the tomb owner's identity has been found yet.
The National Museum of Singapore houses 14th-century artifacts unearthed from Forbidden Hill, and the ceramics among them likely came from China's Yuan Dynasty.
A reconstruction by the National Museum of Singapore of Malays living in Singapore during the 14th century.
To commemorate the 14th-century Kingdom of Singapore, Fort Canning Park built a garden on the hillside at the site of the original royal palace, named after Singapore's first king, Sang Nila Utama. The garden was built in the traditional Javanese architectural style of the 14th-century Majapahit Empire, with some inspiration taken from the 14th-15th century Majapahit capital ruins in Trowulan. At the same time, many of the fruit trees and potted plants in the garden were also found in ancient gardens.
According to the Malay Annals, Sang Nila Utama was originally a prince from the city of Palembang in Srivijaya, and he established the earliest settlement of Singapore (Singapura) on Temasek Island in 1299. For many years, the founding of Singapore was just a legend, until the 13th-14th century Singapore settlement was rediscovered during the first archaeological excavation around the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah in 1984.
Temenggong Abdul Rahman
At the foot of Mount Faber in southern Singapore, there is the tomb of Temenggong Abdul Rahman, one of the founders of modern Singapore, and his family.
After the Majapahit Empire destroyed the Kingdom of Singapore in 1398, Singapore was ruled by the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century and by the Johor Sultanate after the 16th century. In 1603, the Johor Sultanate allied with the Dutch to attack Portuguese ships in Singapore. In retaliation, the Portuguese destroyed the Johor Sultanate's trading settlement at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1613, which directly led to a 200-year period of decline for Singapore.
In 1811, Temenggong Abdul Rahman of the Johor Sultanate moved his family from Riau to Singapore to rule over the Malays and Chinese on the island. On January 29, 1819, an expedition led by Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company landed in Singapore and met with the Temenggong who lived by the Singapore River. With the help of the Temenggong, Sir Stamford Raffles invited Hussein Shah of Johor, who was living in exile in the Riau Islands, to come to Singapore to claim the Sultan's throne.
On February 6, 1819, the Temenggong, Sultan Hussein, and Sir Stamford Raffles signed the Singapore Treaty, which allowed the British East India Company to set up a trading post in the Johor Sultanate. In exchange, the British paid the Temenggong 3,000 Spanish dollars and the Sultan 5,000 Spanish dollars every year. This day is also considered the founding date of modern Singapore.
In 1824, the Temenggong and his family moved to a 200-acre plot of land at the foot of Mount Faber in Singapore, which was assigned to them by Sir Stamford Raffles. Just one year later, the Temenggong passed away at his residence and was buried in a tomb near his home. From then on, this place became the royal burial ground for the Temenggong family. Between 1825 and 1900, 32 members of the Temenggong family were buried there.
Besides Temenggong Abdul Rahman, another important figure in the tomb is his second son, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim. Daeng Ibrahim moved to Singapore with his father in 1811 and succeeded him as Temenggong in 1833. In 1855, the reigning Sultan of Johor signed a treaty with the British in Singapore, agreeing to transfer most of his power to Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim. This made Daeng Ibrahim the de facto ruler of Johor, and his son later became the first Sultan of modern Johor.
Today, this tomb is known as Makam Diraja Johor Telok Blangah and remains the property of the Sultan of Johor.
Next to the Royal Johor Tomb (Makam Diraja Johor Telok Blangah) is the Temenggong Mosque (Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim), which is also owned by the Sultan of Johor. This site was originally a hall attached to the tomb. It was officially converted into a mosque in 1871 and rebuilt into its current structure in 1993 with funding from the Sultan of Johor.
The Sultan of Johor and Kampong Gelam
After Sultan Hussein of Johor, the Temenggong, and Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company signed the Singapore Treaty in 1819, the British began building a colony in Singapore. In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles formed a committee and officially proposed the Singapore Town Plan, also known as the Raffles Town Plan.
In this plan, Singapore's streets were laid out in a grid, and the area was divided into four main zones: European, Chinese, Indian, and Muslim. Although these four ethnic zones were not strictly enforced during actual construction, the policy of ethnic residential zoning in Singapore did not begin to change until the mid-1960s.
According to Sir Stamford Raffles' plan, Kampong Gelam, located east of the European zone, was allocated to Sultan Hussein of Johor and his family and followers. The Sultan received a large plot of residential land in Kampong Gelam, which he distributed to the Malay people who followed him from places like Malacca, the Riau Islands, and Sumatra, making this Singapore's earliest Muslim district.
Between 1824 and 1826, Sultan Hussein used funds from the British East India Company to build the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Gelam. The original mosque was in a typical traditional Malay style, featuring a single-story brick structure with a two-tiered sloping roof. After the 20th century, the Muslim population in Singapore grew significantly, and the original Sultan Mosque could no longer accommodate everyone. In 1924, the centenary of the mosque's founding, the trustees hired Irish architect Denis Santry to rebuild it. Due to the economic recession following World War I, fundraising continued until 1928. Construction on the mosque began that same year and was officially completed in 1932.
The new Sultan Mosque was built in the Indo-Saracenic style. British architects frequently used this style for public buildings in British India and Malaya during the 19th century, with its most prominent feature being the addition of Mughal-style onion domes to modern structures.
The center of Kampong Gelam is the palace (Istana) built by Sultan Ali, the eldest son of Sultan Hussein of Johor, between 1836 and 1843. It is now the Malay Heritage Centre. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations when we visited and will not reopen until 2025.
South of the palace is the Prime Minister's office, built in the 1850s by Tengku Mahmud, the youngest son of Sultan Ali. As an auxiliary building to the palace, it is known as the Yellow Mansion (Gedung Kuning) because its exterior walls are painted yellow. In 1912, a Javanese merchant born in Kampong Gelam named Haji Yusof bought the Yellow Mansion. It was later sold to a Chinese family before being bought back in 1925. From then until 1999, four generations of Haji Yusof's family lived there.
In 1999, the Singapore government bought the yellow mansion, restored it, and opened it as the Malay Heritage Centre. After 2021, it became Permata, a halal buffet restaurant featuring food from the Malay Archipelago. We were short on time and couldn't go in to eat, but we want to try it if we visit Singapore again.
The Malay Royal Cemetery is located in the north of Kampong Glam, where many members of the Johor Sultanate royal family are buried. Sultan Ali opened the cemetery to the public in 1848, and many wealthy Malay merchants are also buried there. At the center of the cemetery is a mound where the relatives of the Johor Sultans are buried, though Sultan Hussein and Sultan Ali are buried in Malacca instead of here. Besides the Johor royal family, the most famous Malay merchant buried in the cemetery is the Bugis businessman Haji Ambok Sooloh Bin Haji Omar. He was an active member of the Singapore Muslim community and helped start the Malay-language newspaper Utusan Melayu.
Hajjah Fatimah Mosque is on the east side of Kampong Glam. It was built with donations from the Malay noblewoman and philanthropist Hajjah Fatimah between 1845 and 1846. Hajjah Fatimah came from a wealthy merchant family in Malacca. After her first marriage ended, she married a Bugis prince who was doing business in Singapore. The prince passed away not long after, so she ran a shipping and sailing trade company in Singapore by herself and became very successful.
Because Hajjah Fatimah had built up so much wealth, her mansion in Kampong Glam became a target for thieves. Her house was broken into twice in the 1830s, and during the second time, the thieves set the house on fire. Grateful that she was not home during the fire, Hajjah Fatimah made a dua to rebuild her house as a mosque and donated money to build homes for the poor on the land next to it.
The current main prayer hall was designed in the 1930s by architects Chung & Wong and rebuilt by the French contractor Bossard & Mopin and Malay workers. Like the Sultan Mosque, it is in the Indo-Saracenic style and features Mughal-style onion domes. The most unique part of the mosque is the European-style minaret at the main gate, with a Neo-Gothic building on each side featuring traditional-style windows.
To the east of the Kampong Glam palace is the former site of the Al-Ahmadiah Press, established in 1911. It is now the Sultan Hotel, but unfortunately, we did not stay there because the price was quite high. Ahmadiyyah Press was founded by Bugis-Malay nobles from the Riau region, including Raja Haji Ali Bin Raja Muhammad, a member of the Johor Sultanate royal family in the Riau Islands. Along with another publisher called HARMY, they printed many Malay-language books in Jawi script covering religion, language, and literature, and they also launched the first Malay women's magazine after World War II.
As Singapore's trade status grew in the early 20th century, Kampong Glam expanded its shophouses, and more Bugis, Minangkabau, and Javanese people arrived to make a living. Although most of their descendants have blended into the Singaporean Malay community, many of their original cultural traditions remain today. The streets of Kampong Glam feature many murals that show what life was like there a century ago. The first two images show a bird's-eye view comparison of Kampong Glam over the last century, while the others show scenes like eating satay skewers (satay), selling bamboo baskets, wayang shadow puppetry, making tombstones, and crafting songkok caps, with satay and wayang shadow puppetry being Javanese specialties.
Today, Kampong Glam still has several long-standing Padang rice (Nasi padang) restaurants, which represent the food culture of the Minangkabau people. The Minangkabau are a Malay-speaking group from the Minangkabau Highlands of Sumatra, and they are very closely related to the Malay people. The Minangkabau have always been known for their business skills and are one of the most mobile ethnic groups in Southeast Asia. More than half of the Minangkabau live outside of Sumatra, and many young people leave home in their teens to study or do business, believing that traveling far from home brings not only wealth and knowledge but also prestige and honor.
We visited Warong Nasi Pariaman, a Padang rice restaurant on North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam that opened in 1948. The restaurant was founded by Isrin bin Ibrahim and his wife Rosna binte Zainal Abidin, who came from Pariaman in western Sumatra. They immigrated to Singapore in the 1940s, started by selling Padang rice from a street stall, and rented their current shophouse in 1948, naming the restaurant after their hometown of Pariaman.
We ordered beef rendang (Rendang Kambing), fried fish (Ikan Goreng), boiled eggs in spicy balado sauce (Telur Rebus Balado), grilled chicken (Ayam Bakar), beef spleen (Limpa Lembu), tofu in coconut milk (Tahu Lemak Kachang), and fried mashed potato patties (Perkedel).
Rendang is the most classic Minangkabau dish, made by slowly simmering meat and various spices in coconut milk until all the liquid evaporates and the meat turns dark brown. Rendang originated from North Indian curry, brought to Sumatra by Indian traders in the 15th century, and was later developed by the Minangkabau from a soupy curry into the dry version known as rendang.
Balado is a classic Minangkabau spicy sauce made by stir-frying red chilies and other spices in coconut or palm oil, with added shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and the Southeast Asian specialty kaffir lime (arrow-leaf orange).
North Bridge Road is the main street in Kampong Glam. Built between 1833 and 1835 and once called the Great Horse Road, it is one of the oldest streets in Singapore. The street is lined with shophouses, including several century-old shops and small boutiques run by young Malay people. It is a great place to explore.
Stop by the Tarik tea shop next to the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam for a classic Nanyang pulled tea (Teh Tarik). Local Malay youth really love this shop. Tarik means pull in Malay. To make it, you mix black tea with condensed milk and pour it back and forth between two containers with your arms stretched out. This cools the tea and creates a frothy top.
We also ordered a cup of Milo, which is a chocolate malt powder made by Nestlé. People in Malaysia and Singapore love to sprinkle extra Milo powder on top of iced Milo, which they call a Milo Dinosaur.
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Summary: This Singapore article explains early Malay history and the city connection with regional Muslim trade and settlement. It keeps the original historical facts, names, museum details, and travel observations in clear English.
The Kingdom of Singapore.
On a small path in Fort Canning Park, Singapore, hides the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah (Keramat Sultan Iskandar Shah), the legendary last king of Singapore. There is still no final conclusion about the true identity of Iskandar Shah.
According to the Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu), written during the Malacca Sultanate, Iskandar Shah was originally a prince from Palembang, Srivijaya. He ruled Singapore from 1389 to 1398, fled after an invasion by the Majapahit Empire, and founded the city of Malacca in 1402. Iskandar means Alexander in Persian. Based on his Persian name, people guess he likely converted to Islam, but it is unclear if he converted while in Singapore or Malacca.
The Malay Annals record that to punish one of his concubines for adultery, Iskandar Shah ordered her to be stripped naked in public. To take revenge on the Sultan, the concubine's father secretly sent a message to the Majapahit Empire, promising to support their invasion of Singapore. In 1398, the Majapahit Empire sent a massive fleet of 300 large ships and hundreds of small boats to invade Singapore. The Majapahit army besieged Iskandar Shah's castle for a month but could not break through. Eventually, the concubine's father ordered the city gates to be opened, and the Majapahit army rushed into the castle and slaughtered the people. Iskandar Shah fled to Malacca, where he established the Malacca Sultanate.
The History of Ming (Ming Shi) contains a different record regarding the identity of Iskandar Shah. The entry for Malacca in Volume 325 of the History of Ming records that the Malacca chieftain Parameswara was granted the title of King of Malacca by the Ming Dynasty in the third year of the Yongle reign (1405). After Parameswara died, his son Megat Iskandar Shah traveled to the Ming Dynasty in the twelfth year of the Yongle reign (1414) to receive his title and later frequently sent tribute to the Ming court. Therefore, he should be the second Sultan of the Malacca Sultanate.
When the British landed on Singapore Island in 1819, the island's leader, Temenggong Abdul Rahman, told them that the hill in the dense forest was called Forbidden Hill (Bukit Larangan) and that commoners were not allowed to go up. Local Malays believe that an ancient king of Singapore once built a palace here.
After the British occupied Singapore, they cleared the dense forest on Forbidden Hill and found many brick ruins on the north and east slopes, with the largest area being the platform where the tomb is located. After 1822, more and more people believed this was the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah. Since 1984, archaeologists have found thousands of 14th-century artifacts near the tomb, many from China and Java, but unfortunately, no evidence of the tomb owner's identity has been found yet.
The National Museum of Singapore houses 14th-century artifacts unearthed from Forbidden Hill, and the ceramics among them likely came from China's Yuan Dynasty.
A reconstruction by the National Museum of Singapore of Malays living in Singapore during the 14th century.
To commemorate the 14th-century Kingdom of Singapore, Fort Canning Park built a garden on the hillside at the site of the original royal palace, named after Singapore's first king, Sang Nila Utama. The garden was built in the traditional Javanese architectural style of the 14th-century Majapahit Empire, with some inspiration taken from the 14th-15th century Majapahit capital ruins in Trowulan. At the same time, many of the fruit trees and potted plants in the garden were also found in ancient gardens.
According to the Malay Annals, Sang Nila Utama was originally a prince from the city of Palembang in Srivijaya, and he established the earliest settlement of Singapore (Singapura) on Temasek Island in 1299. For many years, the founding of Singapore was just a legend, until the 13th-14th century Singapore settlement was rediscovered during the first archaeological excavation around the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah in 1984.
Temenggong Abdul Rahman
At the foot of Mount Faber in southern Singapore, there is the tomb of Temenggong Abdul Rahman, one of the founders of modern Singapore, and his family.
After the Majapahit Empire destroyed the Kingdom of Singapore in 1398, Singapore was ruled by the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century and by the Johor Sultanate after the 16th century. In 1603, the Johor Sultanate allied with the Dutch to attack Portuguese ships in Singapore. In retaliation, the Portuguese destroyed the Johor Sultanate's trading settlement at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1613, which directly led to a 200-year period of decline for Singapore.
In 1811, Temenggong Abdul Rahman of the Johor Sultanate moved his family from Riau to Singapore to rule over the Malays and Chinese on the island. On January 29, 1819, an expedition led by Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company landed in Singapore and met with the Temenggong who lived by the Singapore River. With the help of the Temenggong, Sir Stamford Raffles invited Hussein Shah of Johor, who was living in exile in the Riau Islands, to come to Singapore to claim the Sultan's throne.
On February 6, 1819, the Temenggong, Sultan Hussein, and Sir Stamford Raffles signed the Singapore Treaty, which allowed the British East India Company to set up a trading post in the Johor Sultanate. In exchange, the British paid the Temenggong 3,000 Spanish dollars and the Sultan 5,000 Spanish dollars every year. This day is also considered the founding date of modern Singapore.
In 1824, the Temenggong and his family moved to a 200-acre plot of land at the foot of Mount Faber in Singapore, which was assigned to them by Sir Stamford Raffles. Just one year later, the Temenggong passed away at his residence and was buried in a tomb near his home. From then on, this place became the royal burial ground for the Temenggong family. Between 1825 and 1900, 32 members of the Temenggong family were buried there.
Besides Temenggong Abdul Rahman, another important figure in the tomb is his second son, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim. Daeng Ibrahim moved to Singapore with his father in 1811 and succeeded him as Temenggong in 1833. In 1855, the reigning Sultan of Johor signed a treaty with the British in Singapore, agreeing to transfer most of his power to Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim. This made Daeng Ibrahim the de facto ruler of Johor, and his son later became the first Sultan of modern Johor.
Today, this tomb is known as Makam Diraja Johor Telok Blangah and remains the property of the Sultan of Johor.
Next to the Royal Johor Tomb (Makam Diraja Johor Telok Blangah) is the Temenggong Mosque (Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim), which is also owned by the Sultan of Johor. This site was originally a hall attached to the tomb. It was officially converted into a mosque in 1871 and rebuilt into its current structure in 1993 with funding from the Sultan of Johor.
The Sultan of Johor and Kampong Gelam
After Sultan Hussein of Johor, the Temenggong, and Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company signed the Singapore Treaty in 1819, the British began building a colony in Singapore. In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles formed a committee and officially proposed the Singapore Town Plan, also known as the Raffles Town Plan.
In this plan, Singapore's streets were laid out in a grid, and the area was divided into four main zones: European, Chinese, Indian, and Muslim. Although these four ethnic zones were not strictly enforced during actual construction, the policy of ethnic residential zoning in Singapore did not begin to change until the mid-1960s.
According to Sir Stamford Raffles' plan, Kampong Gelam, located east of the European zone, was allocated to Sultan Hussein of Johor and his family and followers. The Sultan received a large plot of residential land in Kampong Gelam, which he distributed to the Malay people who followed him from places like Malacca, the Riau Islands, and Sumatra, making this Singapore's earliest Muslim district.
Between 1824 and 1826, Sultan Hussein used funds from the British East India Company to build the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Gelam. The original mosque was in a typical traditional Malay style, featuring a single-story brick structure with a two-tiered sloping roof. After the 20th century, the Muslim population in Singapore grew significantly, and the original Sultan Mosque could no longer accommodate everyone. In 1924, the centenary of the mosque's founding, the trustees hired Irish architect Denis Santry to rebuild it. Due to the economic recession following World War I, fundraising continued until 1928. Construction on the mosque began that same year and was officially completed in 1932.
The new Sultan Mosque was built in the Indo-Saracenic style. British architects frequently used this style for public buildings in British India and Malaya during the 19th century, with its most prominent feature being the addition of Mughal-style onion domes to modern structures.
The center of Kampong Gelam is the palace (Istana) built by Sultan Ali, the eldest son of Sultan Hussein of Johor, between 1836 and 1843. It is now the Malay Heritage Centre. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations when we visited and will not reopen until 2025.
South of the palace is the Prime Minister's office, built in the 1850s by Tengku Mahmud, the youngest son of Sultan Ali. As an auxiliary building to the palace, it is known as the Yellow Mansion (Gedung Kuning) because its exterior walls are painted yellow. In 1912, a Javanese merchant born in Kampong Gelam named Haji Yusof bought the Yellow Mansion. It was later sold to a Chinese family before being bought back in 1925. From then until 1999, four generations of Haji Yusof's family lived there.
In 1999, the Singapore government bought the yellow mansion, restored it, and opened it as the Malay Heritage Centre. After 2021, it became Permata, a halal buffet restaurant featuring food from the Malay Archipelago. We were short on time and couldn't go in to eat, but we want to try it if we visit Singapore again.
The Malay Royal Cemetery is located in the north of Kampong Glam, where many members of the Johor Sultanate royal family are buried. Sultan Ali opened the cemetery to the public in 1848, and many wealthy Malay merchants are also buried there. At the center of the cemetery is a mound where the relatives of the Johor Sultans are buried, though Sultan Hussein and Sultan Ali are buried in Malacca instead of here. Besides the Johor royal family, the most famous Malay merchant buried in the cemetery is the Bugis businessman Haji Ambok Sooloh Bin Haji Omar. He was an active member of the Singapore Muslim community and helped start the Malay-language newspaper Utusan Melayu.
Hajjah Fatimah Mosque is on the east side of Kampong Glam. It was built with donations from the Malay noblewoman and philanthropist Hajjah Fatimah between 1845 and 1846. Hajjah Fatimah came from a wealthy merchant family in Malacca. After her first marriage ended, she married a Bugis prince who was doing business in Singapore. The prince passed away not long after, so she ran a shipping and sailing trade company in Singapore by herself and became very successful.
Because Hajjah Fatimah had built up so much wealth, her mansion in Kampong Glam became a target for thieves. Her house was broken into twice in the 1830s, and during the second time, the thieves set the house on fire. Grateful that she was not home during the fire, Hajjah Fatimah made a dua to rebuild her house as a mosque and donated money to build homes for the poor on the land next to it.
The current main prayer hall was designed in the 1930s by architects Chung & Wong and rebuilt by the French contractor Bossard & Mopin and Malay workers. Like the Sultan Mosque, it is in the Indo-Saracenic style and features Mughal-style onion domes. The most unique part of the mosque is the European-style minaret at the main gate, with a Neo-Gothic building on each side featuring traditional-style windows.
To the east of the Kampong Glam palace is the former site of the Al-Ahmadiah Press, established in 1911. It is now the Sultan Hotel, but unfortunately, we did not stay there because the price was quite high. Ahmadiyyah Press was founded by Bugis-Malay nobles from the Riau region, including Raja Haji Ali Bin Raja Muhammad, a member of the Johor Sultanate royal family in the Riau Islands. Along with another publisher called HARMY, they printed many Malay-language books in Jawi script covering religion, language, and literature, and they also launched the first Malay women's magazine after World War II.
As Singapore's trade status grew in the early 20th century, Kampong Glam expanded its shophouses, and more Bugis, Minangkabau, and Javanese people arrived to make a living. Although most of their descendants have blended into the Singaporean Malay community, many of their original cultural traditions remain today. The streets of Kampong Glam feature many murals that show what life was like there a century ago. The first two images show a bird's-eye view comparison of Kampong Glam over the last century, while the others show scenes like eating satay skewers (satay), selling bamboo baskets, wayang shadow puppetry, making tombstones, and crafting songkok caps, with satay and wayang shadow puppetry being Javanese specialties.
Today, Kampong Glam still has several long-standing Padang rice (Nasi padang) restaurants, which represent the food culture of the Minangkabau people. The Minangkabau are a Malay-speaking group from the Minangkabau Highlands of Sumatra, and they are very closely related to the Malay people. The Minangkabau have always been known for their business skills and are one of the most mobile ethnic groups in Southeast Asia. More than half of the Minangkabau live outside of Sumatra, and many young people leave home in their teens to study or do business, believing that traveling far from home brings not only wealth and knowledge but also prestige and honor.
We visited Warong Nasi Pariaman, a Padang rice restaurant on North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam that opened in 1948. The restaurant was founded by Isrin bin Ibrahim and his wife Rosna binte Zainal Abidin, who came from Pariaman in western Sumatra. They immigrated to Singapore in the 1940s, started by selling Padang rice from a street stall, and rented their current shophouse in 1948, naming the restaurant after their hometown of Pariaman.
We ordered beef rendang (Rendang Kambing), fried fish (Ikan Goreng), boiled eggs in spicy balado sauce (Telur Rebus Balado), grilled chicken (Ayam Bakar), beef spleen (Limpa Lembu), tofu in coconut milk (Tahu Lemak Kachang), and fried mashed potato patties (Perkedel).
Rendang is the most classic Minangkabau dish, made by slowly simmering meat and various spices in coconut milk until all the liquid evaporates and the meat turns dark brown. Rendang originated from North Indian curry, brought to Sumatra by Indian traders in the 15th century, and was later developed by the Minangkabau from a soupy curry into the dry version known as rendang.
Balado is a classic Minangkabau spicy sauce made by stir-frying red chilies and other spices in coconut or palm oil, with added shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and the Southeast Asian specialty kaffir lime (arrow-leaf orange).
North Bridge Road is the main street in Kampong Glam. Built between 1833 and 1835 and once called the Great Horse Road, it is one of the oldest streets in Singapore. The street is lined with shophouses, including several century-old shops and small boutiques run by young Malay people. It is a great place to explore.
Stop by the Tarik tea shop next to the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam for a classic Nanyang pulled tea (Teh Tarik). Local Malay youth really love this shop. Tarik means pull in Malay. To make it, you mix black tea with condensed milk and pour it back and forth between two containers with your arms stretched out. This cools the tea and creates a frothy top.
We also ordered a cup of Milo, which is a chocolate malt powder made by Nestlé. People in Malaysia and Singapore love to sprinkle extra Milo powder on top of iced Milo, which they call a Milo Dinosaur.
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Halal Food Guide: Malaysia - Halal Chinese Food, Restaurants and Travel (Part 1)
Reposted from the web
Summary: This first Malaysia food article records halal Chinese restaurants, dishes, travel stops, and community food culture. It keeps the original meal details, restaurant context, and travel route in simple English.
In 2019, I tasted halal Chinese food in Penang, Malaysia, as described in "Halal Chinese Cuisine in Penang, Malaysia." In January 2024, I visited five more Malaysian cities: Johor Bahru, Seremban, Klang, Ipoh, and Kuala Kangsar, where I enjoyed many more halal Chinese meals. There are halal Cantonese seafood restaurants run by Chinese Muslims, as well as Hainanese coffee shops (kopitiam) owned by Hainanese people but staffed by Malay employees, all of which have a distinct Nanyang style.
Further reading: Singapore also has many halal Chinese restaurants. See "Tasting Halal Chinese Food in Singapore" and "Eating Nyonya Cuisine in Singapore" for details.
Johor Bahru
I took a train from Woodlands, Singapore, in the morning to clear customs, and arrived at the Johor Bahru station in Malaysia in just 5 minutes. I walked from the Johor Bahru station to the Hua Mui coffee shop in the old town to experience an authentic Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam).
Opened in 1946, Hua Mui has a 78-year history and is the oldest Hainanese coffee shop in Johor Bahru. Like many old-school Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia, the owner is Hainanese Chinese, but they hire Malay chefs and staff so that Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers can all enjoy the food.
Hainanese people began immigrating to Malaysia in the 19th century. Many early immigrants worked as chefs and waiters in British hotels and restaurants, while some worked as servants in the homes of British officers. Influenced by their British employers, the Hainanese learned to cook Western food and blended it with Hainanese culinary elements to create the unique Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam) culture.
The word kopitiam is made up of the Malay word "kopi" (coffee) and the Hokkien word "tiam" (shop), specializing in charcoal-grilled toast, white coffee, and soft-boiled eggs. Early Hainanese coffee shops were very popular with the British. Today, they serve as important social hubs where older people gather to discuss news and daily life.
At Hua Mui, we ordered lamb claypot rice, Hainanese noodles, Cham C (a mix of coffee, tea, and milk), and a breakfast platter. Cham C is a drink made of coffee, tea, and milk. The shop's environment remains very traditional, set in a typical two-story shophouse with bamboo blinds hanging on the doors and windows, easily reminding people of days gone by.
To understand the history of the Chinese community in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, you must visit the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. In 1844, Temenggong Ibrahim began issuing land grants in Johor. Teochew community leader Tan Hiok Nee answered the call and led a group from Singapore to develop Johor Bahru, marking the beginning of the city's Chinese community. Early Chinese settlers in Johor Bahru were divided into five dialect groups: Hainanese, Cantonese-Zhaoqing, Hakka, Hokkien, and Teochew. Each group had its own clan association, and people from the same hometowns stayed very closely connected.
Today, Johor Bahru has several halal Chinese restaurants, such as Cafe Eleven Kitchen and Hijrah Dim Sum. I didn't have time to visit them on this trip, but I hope to try them in the future.
Seremban
Take a taxi 50 kilometers southeast from Kuala Lumpur Airport to reach Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan state. We started with morning tea at a halal Chinese restaurant called Muhammad Kew Chinese Muslim Kitchen. We ordered chicken char siu buns (cha shao bao), wontons (yuntun), Cantonese-style egg gravy rice (guangfu huadan mifan), and shrimp dumplings (shaomai), all of which were delicious. Unfortunately, the Chinese owner was busy in the kitchen, so I didn't get to meet him. I only met his Malay wife, who was very warm and friendly. This was my second time eating char siu buns. The first time was at a Hui Muslim restaurant in Guangzhou where I had lamb char siu. Both places prepared them in a similar sweet style, but the chicken version was more tender. The Cantonese-style rice is made with a thickened egg sauce. It is light and goes well with rice, which suits my taste perfectly. The wontons were filled with radish, which tasted very fresh. The shrimp dumplings were filled with a shrimp and meat paste, giving them a unique flavor.
Seremban is a traditional Chinese town. After tin mines were discovered nearby in the 1870s, many Chinese workers flooded into the area, and the town grew rapidly due to the tin trade. The old town of Seremban still has several streets with traditional arcade buildings (qilou). They haven't been turned into tourist traps yet, so they are well worth a visit.
For lunch, we ate at a halal Chinese restaurant called Mohd Chan in Seremban. It is likely the most famous and largest halal Cantonese restaurant chain in Malaysia, with 19 locations including restaurants, dim sum shops, and takeout spots. The founder of Mohd Chan, Dato HJ Mohd Chan, was born in Gombak, Selangor. Influenced by his Malay friends, he converted to Islam in 2007 and began running a halal Cantonese restaurant that same year. Since then, he has been working to combine Cantonese cuisine with local flavors.
We ordered Teochew-style steamed fish, Cantonese-style egg gravy flat noodles (huadan he), sticky rice with chicken (nuomi ji), and lychee water. The Teochew-style steamed fish (chaozhou zhengyu) has a slightly sour taste. It comes with so many toppings that I had to eat through a lot of oyster mushroom and chicken slices before I even reached the fish. The Cantonese-style egg noodles (guangfu huadanhe) include chicken slices and shrimp. The sticky rice chicken (nuomiji) is topped with shiitake mushrooms, though it is not wrapped up like the ones I ate in Guangzhou. Their menu is quite varied and the food tastes good, but they use a central kitchen rather than cooking everything fresh on-site. It feels a bit like the approach used by Ziguangyuan in Beijing.
Klang
Take the light rail west from Kuala Lumpur Sentral for over 30 kilometers to reach Klang city in Selangor state. Klang city sits on both banks of the Klang River. After the large-scale development of tin mines in Selangor in the 19th century, many Chinese laborers traveled south to make a living, and Klang became an important base for these workers before they headed to the mines. Most Chinese people in Klang are of Hokkien descent, and Hokkien is the most popular Chinese dialect here.
We had breakfast at a Chinese Muslim coffee shop (hecha canshi) on the north side of the Klang River. It is run by both Chinese Muslims and Malay people, serving both halal Chinese food and Malay dishes. We ordered a classic Malaysian breakfast of coffee, butter toast, and soft-boiled eggs, and we also had Hokkien noodles (fujianmian). Hokkien noodles are a street snack invented by Hokkien-Malaysian Chinese in the 1920s. In 1927, Wang Jinlian from Quanzhou, Fujian, came to Kuala Lumpur to make a living. He started by selling noodle soup, but later adapted it to local tastes by adding flounder powder, dark soy sauce, shrimp paste, and chili sauce. He braised the noodles until the sauce became thick and dark, which became very popular and helped Hokkien noodles spread across Malaysia.
For lunch, we went to Bukit Tinggi in the south of Klang to eat at Restoran Rahmat Tan, the most famous Chinese Muslim restaurant chain in the area. They have already opened seven locations around Klang. Bukit Tinggi was developed in 1997 and is the most successful large-scale modern town near Klang, with many Chinese residents living there. In the photo, the first table is almost finished and is occupied by Indians, the second table is occupied by Malays, and the people who just sat down at the back are Chinese. You can see how much every ethnic group here enjoys halal Chinese food.
Their menu is also very rich, focusing on various seafood dishes, and you can choose from small, medium, or large portions. We ordered soy sauce steamed barramundi (shijia yu), fragrant soft-shell crab (ganxiang ruanke xie), mixed vegetable soup, and Chinese-style fried rice, all of which suited our tastes perfectly! The saltiness is just right, and the sweet and sour flavors are perfect. This was my first time eating deep-fried soft-shell crab. It is fried with the shell on, making it crispy and chewy. I feel that eating seafood in Malaysia is a great value, and there are so many ways to prepare it. They have 19 different ways to cook fish alone: three-flavor, sweet and sour, sambal, steamed with salted vegetables and tofu, fried with salted vegetables and tofu, steamed with lemon, pan-fried with black bean sauce, steamed with soy sauce, pan-fried with soy sauce, steamed with ginger paste, Thai-style steamed, Thai-style fried, Nyonya-style steamed, steamed with soy sauce and preserved radish, pan-fried with soy sauce and preserved radish, and dry-fried with fragrant spices. They also make creamy fish fillets, salted egg fish fillets, kung pao fish fillets, black pepper fish fillets, and more. It is impossible to choose.
We truly felt that halal Chinese restaurants in Malaysia are a food paradise!
Ipoh
Take the train north from Kuala Lumpur Sentral, and after 200 kilometers, you will arrive in Ipoh, the capital of Perak state and a famous historical and cultural city. As a city where more than half the residents are Chinese, Ipoh has several halal Chinese restaurants, including Canning Dim Sum, Asam House, Restoran 1818 Masakan Cina Muslim, and Restoran Pakcik Wong. I did not have time to try them all on this trip.
After leaving the train station, we took a taxi directly to Liu's Halal Seafood Restaurant. The owner of Liu's, Haji Liu Xiaoxiang, converted to Islam at 21 and later became the chairman of the Selangor branch of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association. Haji Liu worked in international trade in his early years and later ran a home appliance assembly factory for 20 years. At 60, he handed the factory business to his eldest daughter and opened his first Muslim restaurant in Shah Alam, Selangor. Later, he used the Liu's brand to open 15 branches in just five years, making Liu's an important halal Chinese restaurant chain in Malaysia. Although Haji Liu received an English education from a young age and later studied law in the UK, he has always loved Chinese culture, especially Chinese food culture. Opening Liu's Halal Seafood Restaurant was a dream come true for Haji Liu and his contribution to promoting Chinese Muslim culture.
This is actually my second time eating at Liu's. When I first ate at the Penang branch in 2019, I ordered Nyonya-style flower crab, Teochew-style steamed grouper, claypot tofu, and vermicelli soup, all of which were delicious. At the Ipoh branch, I ordered braised tofu with crab meat (xie rou pa doufu), stink bean squid (chou dou you yu), bamboo fungus seafood fin soup (zhu sheng hai wei chi), and beef fried rice. I really enjoyed them all. I can say this is the best halal Chinese restaurant I have eaten at in Malaysia, and the service is the most welcoming. At Liu Ji, you can add crab meat, dried scallops, corn, bamboo fungus, and osmanthus to your shark fin soup. A small portion is only 30 ringgit, which feels like a great deal. Their tofu is also a standout with a very rich flavor.
We stayed at the Sarang Paloh Heritage Stay & Event Hall in Ipoh, which is located inside the Yik Foong Goldsmith shop built in the 1930s in Ipoh Old Town. The hotel was converted from two shophouses. The facade of the left building is in Art Deco style, the right is Neoclassical, and the interior features traditional Malaysian Chinese decor.
The second floor of the Yik Foong Goldsmith shophouse has very high ceilings and looks out onto the main road of Ipoh Old Town. Brewing two cups of the complimentary Ipoh white coffee makes it feel like I have returned to the Nanyang of the 20th century.
In the morning, we ate rat noodles (laoshufen) and fried wonton noodles at the Hui Muslim fried noodle shop, Gerai Ipoh Ipoh Aje, at the old Ipoh bus station. The Hui Muslim owner, Huang Kunping, specializes in various stir-fried flat rice noodles (hefen), fried Hokkien noodles, fried rat noodles, and silky egg flat rice noodles (huadanhe), while his Malay wife, Aini, makes various Malay snacks. Mr. Huang stir-fries with great energy at the shop entrance. The noodles have a strong wok-char flavor (wok hei) and are very popular with Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers.
Rat noodles are a traditional Hakka noodle dish originating from Meizhou, Guangdong. They are made by steaming rice batter into a block and pressing it through a sieve with holes. They get their name because the two ends are pointed, looking like a mouse.
Ipoh is known as the City of Tin. In 1880, the Kinta Valley, where Ipoh is located, attracted many Chinese immigrants to mine its rich tin deposits, and Ipoh quickly developed into a mining town. In 1892, a major fire in Ipoh destroyed more than half of the original wooden shophouses. Afterward, a local Datuk led the reconstruction into the typical shophouse streets of the Straits region, which is now Ipoh Old Town. In 1907, Chinese community leader Yao Desheng funded the construction of a new 1-kilometer-long street across the river from the Old Town, consisting of 216 shophouses, which is now Ipoh New Town. Today, Ipoh has a large area of old streets with covered walkways (qilou) made up of the historic New Town and Old Town districts. Many of these buildings are decades or even centuries old and are well worth a visit.
If you want to learn about the lives of Chinese people in old Ipoh, I recommend visiting the 22 Hale Street Heritage Gallery in the Old Town. It recreates many scenes of daily life for Chinese people in Ipoh during the 20th century. The most interesting part for me was the recreation of a guest room from the 1950s Ipoh Asia Hotel. It really looks just like something out of a movie.
The streetscape of Ipoh's old town has not been developed for tourism; it is just an old street where people live their daily lives.
Kuala Kangsar
Take the train north from Ipoh, and you will reach Kuala Kangsar district in a 30-minute ride. Kuala Kangsar has been the royal city of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. The town center still keeps an old street with covered walkways (qilou), where you can find an old-school Hainanese coffee shop called Yut Loy Coffee Shop. Like many Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia's old towns, the Hainanese owner here hires Malay staff, allowing the three major ethnic groups—Chinese, Malay, and Indian—to all dine in the shop.
Since Yut Loy Coffee Shop only serves main meals after one in the afternoon, we spent our morning there having coffee with toast, topped with honey and butter. I used to read novels about Nanyang where old men would sit in these Hainanese coffee shops all morning with a cup of coffee, a piece of toast, and a newspaper. This time, we got to experience it ourselves.
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Summary: This first Malaysia food article records halal Chinese restaurants, dishes, travel stops, and community food culture. It keeps the original meal details, restaurant context, and travel route in simple English.
In 2019, I tasted halal Chinese food in Penang, Malaysia, as described in "Halal Chinese Cuisine in Penang, Malaysia." In January 2024, I visited five more Malaysian cities: Johor Bahru, Seremban, Klang, Ipoh, and Kuala Kangsar, where I enjoyed many more halal Chinese meals. There are halal Cantonese seafood restaurants run by Chinese Muslims, as well as Hainanese coffee shops (kopitiam) owned by Hainanese people but staffed by Malay employees, all of which have a distinct Nanyang style.
Further reading: Singapore also has many halal Chinese restaurants. See "Tasting Halal Chinese Food in Singapore" and "Eating Nyonya Cuisine in Singapore" for details.
Johor Bahru
I took a train from Woodlands, Singapore, in the morning to clear customs, and arrived at the Johor Bahru station in Malaysia in just 5 minutes. I walked from the Johor Bahru station to the Hua Mui coffee shop in the old town to experience an authentic Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam).
Opened in 1946, Hua Mui has a 78-year history and is the oldest Hainanese coffee shop in Johor Bahru. Like many old-school Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia, the owner is Hainanese Chinese, but they hire Malay chefs and staff so that Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers can all enjoy the food.
Hainanese people began immigrating to Malaysia in the 19th century. Many early immigrants worked as chefs and waiters in British hotels and restaurants, while some worked as servants in the homes of British officers. Influenced by their British employers, the Hainanese learned to cook Western food and blended it with Hainanese culinary elements to create the unique Hainanese coffee shop (Hailam Kopitiam) culture.
The word kopitiam is made up of the Malay word "kopi" (coffee) and the Hokkien word "tiam" (shop), specializing in charcoal-grilled toast, white coffee, and soft-boiled eggs. Early Hainanese coffee shops were very popular with the British. Today, they serve as important social hubs where older people gather to discuss news and daily life.
At Hua Mui, we ordered lamb claypot rice, Hainanese noodles, Cham C (a mix of coffee, tea, and milk), and a breakfast platter. Cham C is a drink made of coffee, tea, and milk. The shop's environment remains very traditional, set in a typical two-story shophouse with bamboo blinds hanging on the doors and windows, easily reminding people of days gone by.
To understand the history of the Chinese community in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, you must visit the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. In 1844, Temenggong Ibrahim began issuing land grants in Johor. Teochew community leader Tan Hiok Nee answered the call and led a group from Singapore to develop Johor Bahru, marking the beginning of the city's Chinese community. Early Chinese settlers in Johor Bahru were divided into five dialect groups: Hainanese, Cantonese-Zhaoqing, Hakka, Hokkien, and Teochew. Each group had its own clan association, and people from the same hometowns stayed very closely connected.
Today, Johor Bahru has several halal Chinese restaurants, such as Cafe Eleven Kitchen and Hijrah Dim Sum. I didn't have time to visit them on this trip, but I hope to try them in the future.
Seremban
Take a taxi 50 kilometers southeast from Kuala Lumpur Airport to reach Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan state. We started with morning tea at a halal Chinese restaurant called Muhammad Kew Chinese Muslim Kitchen. We ordered chicken char siu buns (cha shao bao), wontons (yuntun), Cantonese-style egg gravy rice (guangfu huadan mifan), and shrimp dumplings (shaomai), all of which were delicious. Unfortunately, the Chinese owner was busy in the kitchen, so I didn't get to meet him. I only met his Malay wife, who was very warm and friendly. This was my second time eating char siu buns. The first time was at a Hui Muslim restaurant in Guangzhou where I had lamb char siu. Both places prepared them in a similar sweet style, but the chicken version was more tender. The Cantonese-style rice is made with a thickened egg sauce. It is light and goes well with rice, which suits my taste perfectly. The wontons were filled with radish, which tasted very fresh. The shrimp dumplings were filled with a shrimp and meat paste, giving them a unique flavor.
Seremban is a traditional Chinese town. After tin mines were discovered nearby in the 1870s, many Chinese workers flooded into the area, and the town grew rapidly due to the tin trade. The old town of Seremban still has several streets with traditional arcade buildings (qilou). They haven't been turned into tourist traps yet, so they are well worth a visit.
For lunch, we ate at a halal Chinese restaurant called Mohd Chan in Seremban. It is likely the most famous and largest halal Cantonese restaurant chain in Malaysia, with 19 locations including restaurants, dim sum shops, and takeout spots. The founder of Mohd Chan, Dato HJ Mohd Chan, was born in Gombak, Selangor. Influenced by his Malay friends, he converted to Islam in 2007 and began running a halal Cantonese restaurant that same year. Since then, he has been working to combine Cantonese cuisine with local flavors.
We ordered Teochew-style steamed fish, Cantonese-style egg gravy flat noodles (huadan he), sticky rice with chicken (nuomi ji), and lychee water. The Teochew-style steamed fish (chaozhou zhengyu) has a slightly sour taste. It comes with so many toppings that I had to eat through a lot of oyster mushroom and chicken slices before I even reached the fish. The Cantonese-style egg noodles (guangfu huadanhe) include chicken slices and shrimp. The sticky rice chicken (nuomiji) is topped with shiitake mushrooms, though it is not wrapped up like the ones I ate in Guangzhou. Their menu is quite varied and the food tastes good, but they use a central kitchen rather than cooking everything fresh on-site. It feels a bit like the approach used by Ziguangyuan in Beijing.
Klang
Take the light rail west from Kuala Lumpur Sentral for over 30 kilometers to reach Klang city in Selangor state. Klang city sits on both banks of the Klang River. After the large-scale development of tin mines in Selangor in the 19th century, many Chinese laborers traveled south to make a living, and Klang became an important base for these workers before they headed to the mines. Most Chinese people in Klang are of Hokkien descent, and Hokkien is the most popular Chinese dialect here.
We had breakfast at a Chinese Muslim coffee shop (hecha canshi) on the north side of the Klang River. It is run by both Chinese Muslims and Malay people, serving both halal Chinese food and Malay dishes. We ordered a classic Malaysian breakfast of coffee, butter toast, and soft-boiled eggs, and we also had Hokkien noodles (fujianmian). Hokkien noodles are a street snack invented by Hokkien-Malaysian Chinese in the 1920s. In 1927, Wang Jinlian from Quanzhou, Fujian, came to Kuala Lumpur to make a living. He started by selling noodle soup, but later adapted it to local tastes by adding flounder powder, dark soy sauce, shrimp paste, and chili sauce. He braised the noodles until the sauce became thick and dark, which became very popular and helped Hokkien noodles spread across Malaysia.
For lunch, we went to Bukit Tinggi in the south of Klang to eat at Restoran Rahmat Tan, the most famous Chinese Muslim restaurant chain in the area. They have already opened seven locations around Klang. Bukit Tinggi was developed in 1997 and is the most successful large-scale modern town near Klang, with many Chinese residents living there. In the photo, the first table is almost finished and is occupied by Indians, the second table is occupied by Malays, and the people who just sat down at the back are Chinese. You can see how much every ethnic group here enjoys halal Chinese food.
Their menu is also very rich, focusing on various seafood dishes, and you can choose from small, medium, or large portions. We ordered soy sauce steamed barramundi (shijia yu), fragrant soft-shell crab (ganxiang ruanke xie), mixed vegetable soup, and Chinese-style fried rice, all of which suited our tastes perfectly! The saltiness is just right, and the sweet and sour flavors are perfect. This was my first time eating deep-fried soft-shell crab. It is fried with the shell on, making it crispy and chewy. I feel that eating seafood in Malaysia is a great value, and there are so many ways to prepare it. They have 19 different ways to cook fish alone: three-flavor, sweet and sour, sambal, steamed with salted vegetables and tofu, fried with salted vegetables and tofu, steamed with lemon, pan-fried with black bean sauce, steamed with soy sauce, pan-fried with soy sauce, steamed with ginger paste, Thai-style steamed, Thai-style fried, Nyonya-style steamed, steamed with soy sauce and preserved radish, pan-fried with soy sauce and preserved radish, and dry-fried with fragrant spices. They also make creamy fish fillets, salted egg fish fillets, kung pao fish fillets, black pepper fish fillets, and more. It is impossible to choose.
We truly felt that halal Chinese restaurants in Malaysia are a food paradise!
Ipoh
Take the train north from Kuala Lumpur Sentral, and after 200 kilometers, you will arrive in Ipoh, the capital of Perak state and a famous historical and cultural city. As a city where more than half the residents are Chinese, Ipoh has several halal Chinese restaurants, including Canning Dim Sum, Asam House, Restoran 1818 Masakan Cina Muslim, and Restoran Pakcik Wong. I did not have time to try them all on this trip.
After leaving the train station, we took a taxi directly to Liu's Halal Seafood Restaurant. The owner of Liu's, Haji Liu Xiaoxiang, converted to Islam at 21 and later became the chairman of the Selangor branch of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association. Haji Liu worked in international trade in his early years and later ran a home appliance assembly factory for 20 years. At 60, he handed the factory business to his eldest daughter and opened his first Muslim restaurant in Shah Alam, Selangor. Later, he used the Liu's brand to open 15 branches in just five years, making Liu's an important halal Chinese restaurant chain in Malaysia. Although Haji Liu received an English education from a young age and later studied law in the UK, he has always loved Chinese culture, especially Chinese food culture. Opening Liu's Halal Seafood Restaurant was a dream come true for Haji Liu and his contribution to promoting Chinese Muslim culture.
This is actually my second time eating at Liu's. When I first ate at the Penang branch in 2019, I ordered Nyonya-style flower crab, Teochew-style steamed grouper, claypot tofu, and vermicelli soup, all of which were delicious. At the Ipoh branch, I ordered braised tofu with crab meat (xie rou pa doufu), stink bean squid (chou dou you yu), bamboo fungus seafood fin soup (zhu sheng hai wei chi), and beef fried rice. I really enjoyed them all. I can say this is the best halal Chinese restaurant I have eaten at in Malaysia, and the service is the most welcoming. At Liu Ji, you can add crab meat, dried scallops, corn, bamboo fungus, and osmanthus to your shark fin soup. A small portion is only 30 ringgit, which feels like a great deal. Their tofu is also a standout with a very rich flavor.
We stayed at the Sarang Paloh Heritage Stay & Event Hall in Ipoh, which is located inside the Yik Foong Goldsmith shop built in the 1930s in Ipoh Old Town. The hotel was converted from two shophouses. The facade of the left building is in Art Deco style, the right is Neoclassical, and the interior features traditional Malaysian Chinese decor.
The second floor of the Yik Foong Goldsmith shophouse has very high ceilings and looks out onto the main road of Ipoh Old Town. Brewing two cups of the complimentary Ipoh white coffee makes it feel like I have returned to the Nanyang of the 20th century.
In the morning, we ate rat noodles (laoshufen) and fried wonton noodles at the Hui Muslim fried noodle shop, Gerai Ipoh Ipoh Aje, at the old Ipoh bus station. The Hui Muslim owner, Huang Kunping, specializes in various stir-fried flat rice noodles (hefen), fried Hokkien noodles, fried rat noodles, and silky egg flat rice noodles (huadanhe), while his Malay wife, Aini, makes various Malay snacks. Mr. Huang stir-fries with great energy at the shop entrance. The noodles have a strong wok-char flavor (wok hei) and are very popular with Chinese, Malay, and Indian customers.
Rat noodles are a traditional Hakka noodle dish originating from Meizhou, Guangdong. They are made by steaming rice batter into a block and pressing it through a sieve with holes. They get their name because the two ends are pointed, looking like a mouse.
Ipoh is known as the City of Tin. In 1880, the Kinta Valley, where Ipoh is located, attracted many Chinese immigrants to mine its rich tin deposits, and Ipoh quickly developed into a mining town. In 1892, a major fire in Ipoh destroyed more than half of the original wooden shophouses. Afterward, a local Datuk led the reconstruction into the typical shophouse streets of the Straits region, which is now Ipoh Old Town. In 1907, Chinese community leader Yao Desheng funded the construction of a new 1-kilometer-long street across the river from the Old Town, consisting of 216 shophouses, which is now Ipoh New Town. Today, Ipoh has a large area of old streets with covered walkways (qilou) made up of the historic New Town and Old Town districts. Many of these buildings are decades or even centuries old and are well worth a visit.
If you want to learn about the lives of Chinese people in old Ipoh, I recommend visiting the 22 Hale Street Heritage Gallery in the Old Town. It recreates many scenes of daily life for Chinese people in Ipoh during the 20th century. The most interesting part for me was the recreation of a guest room from the 1950s Ipoh Asia Hotel. It really looks just like something out of a movie.
The streetscape of Ipoh's old town has not been developed for tourism; it is just an old street where people live their daily lives.
Kuala Kangsar
Take the train north from Ipoh, and you will reach Kuala Kangsar district in a 30-minute ride. Kuala Kangsar has been the royal city of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. The town center still keeps an old street with covered walkways (qilou), where you can find an old-school Hainanese coffee shop called Yut Loy Coffee Shop. Like many Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia's old towns, the Hainanese owner here hires Malay staff, allowing the three major ethnic groups—Chinese, Malay, and Indian—to all dine in the shop.
Since Yut Loy Coffee Shop only serves main meals after one in the afternoon, we spent our morning there having coffee with toast, topped with honey and butter. I used to read novels about Nanyang where old men would sit in these Hainanese coffee shops all morning with a cup of coffee, a piece of toast, and a newspaper. This time, we got to experience it ourselves.
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Halal Travel Guide: Old Cairo - North Gate, Mosques and Thousand-Year History
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Old Cairo travel account walks inside the northern gate of the historic city and follows its mosques, streets, gates, and layered Islamic history. It keeps the original place names, dates, buildings, and travel route without adding outside claims.
The history of Cairo as a city goes back over a thousand years. Back in the ancient Roman era, the Romans built the Babylon Fortress in the south of Cairo. After the Arabs took Cairo in 641 AD, they built the city of Fustat to the northeast of the Babylon Fortress. Over the next 300 years, Muslim rulers from different dynasties built several cities near Cairo, but none of them survived. In 969 AD, the Shia Fatimid dynasty conquered Egypt and spent four years building what is now the old city of Cairo. By this count, the old city of Cairo is now 1,055 years old.
The walls of old Cairo were started in 969 AD. They were first made of brick, then expanded with stone during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah (reigned 1036-1094), and finally finished in 1087. The north gates of the old city, the Gate of Conquest (Bab al-Futuh) and the Gate of Victory (Bab al-Nasr), were both built during this time. In this article, I will take you through the north gate into old Cairo to experience its thousand-year history.
Gate of Conquest and Gate of Conquest: 1087
The Gate of Conquest is 22 meters high and has two round towers. The stone carving details may have been influenced by Syrian or Byzantine craftsmen. Above the arch, the surface is covered in diamond patterns containing rosettes and crosses. The parts of the towers that hang outward are carved with ram heads, which are symbols of Mars in the zodiac. Inside the gate, the dome and the rectangular space connect through a pendentive, which is a typical feature of Byzantine architecture.
The Gate of Victory is on the east side of the Gate of Conquest. Unlike the round towers of the Gate of Conquest, the towers of the Gate of Victory are square and contain guard rooms and living areas. There are shield carvings above the gate, which symbolize protecting the city from invasion. The shield features an Arabic inscription from its 1087 reconstruction, along with a Shia version of the Shahada that mentions Ali as the friend (wali) of Allah.
Al-Hakim Mosque: 1013.
Right next to the northern wall of Old Cairo stands the Al-Hakim Mosque, named after the sixth Fatimid caliph and the 16th imam of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (reigned 996-1021). The mosque was started in 990 by the fifth Fatimid caliph, al-Aziz Billah (reigned 975-996), and finished in 1013 by Caliph al-Hakim, making it 1,010 years old today.
The Al-Hakim Mosque was originally outside the walls of Cairo, but it was brought inside the city after the walls were rebuilt in 1087. The mosque's architectural style is similar to the Al-Azhar Mosque, but it is twice as large. The most striking features inside are the two minarets built on square brick bases. When the minarets were first built in 1003, they were separate structures, and they were only encased in brick in 1010. Some scholars suggest this might be linked to the ruler of Mecca rejecting Fatimid authority in 1010, which weakened the dynasty's power. The outer wall of the southern brick base has marble Kufic Arabic inscriptions from the Fatimid period, while the Kufic inscriptions on the northern base were moved to the outside of the city wall when it was incorporated into the northern wall of Old Cairo in 1087.
During the Crusades, the mosque was used as a prison by the Franks and later as a stable by Saladin. It was renovated during the Mamluk period in the 14th century but later fell into ruins for a long time. The mosque was renovated in 1808, and a small, colorful marble mihrab added during that time still survives today.
In the 20th century, the mosque served as a school until 1980, when the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Shia Islam carried out a massive reconstruction and renovation using white marble. Inside the main hall after the reconstruction, only the original stucco carvings, wooden beams, and scriptures were preserved. This restoration caused a lack of authenticity that sparked criticism and widespread discussion among scholars. In 2017, the Dawoodi Bohra community and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a new round of restoration, and it did not reopen until February 2023.
Caravanserai of Qaitbay: 1481
Enter the old city of Cairo through the Gate of Victory (Bab al-Futuh) onto El-Gamaleya Street. The first thing you see is the caravanserai (wikala) of Sultan Qaitbay, which is currently under renovation. It was built in 1481 by Sultan Qaitbay (reigned 1468-1496) of the Mamluk dynasty. Qaitbay was one of the Mamluk sultans who sponsored the most architecture. Although the Mamluk dynasty was in decline, the situation remained relatively stable under his rule, and trade flourished.
Like other Mamluk caravanserais (wikala), this place not only provided short-term housing for passing caravans but also offered long-term rental apartment units (rab). It was used as apartments for hundreds of years until the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities began renovations in 2015. Work is still ongoing, and you can still see the wooden lattice windows (mashrabiya) facing the street.
Gate of the Caravanserai of Qawsun: 1341
Continuing south, you can see the remains of the gate of the caravanserai (wikala) of Emir Qawsun. This inn was built in 1341 by the famous Mamluk Emir Qawsun (1302-1342). It was used by soap and coffee merchants from Palestine in the 17th and 18th centuries, so it is also called the Soap Inn. The inn was demolished in 1960 to be rebuilt as a school, and only the gate remains. Above the gate is a stone carving of a pair of cups, because Emir Qawsun once served as the Sultan's cupbearer (saqi).
Qawsun was born on the Kipchak steppe under the rule of the Golden Horde and started out as a merchant. In 1320, Princess Tulunbay of the Golden Horde married the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. Qawsun came to Cairo as part of her entourage and stayed in Cairo to sell leather goods. Qawsun was highly valued by the Sultan in Cairo and became his personal attendant. He then rose quickly through the ranks and married the Sultan's daughter. After the old Sultan died in 1341, Qawsun became the regent and held actual power over the Mamluk dynasty. However, he was defeated by political rivals a few months later and was killed in prison.
Continuing south along El-Gamaleya Street, you can see several more historical buildings.
Khanqah of Baybars II: 1310
On the east side of the middle section of El-Gamaleya Street stands the Khanqah of Baybars II, built in 1310. Baybars II was the 12th Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty and reigned for only one year, from 1309 to 1310. Baybars II served as vice-sultan from 1299 to 1309 and led the Mamluk Sultanate against the Ilkhanate in the Battle of Marj al-Saffar in Syria in 1303. This battle resulted in the total defeat of the Mongol army that had marched west into Syria. People say the Sultan led his captives from the Gate of Victory along El-Gamaleya Street into the old city of Cairo. Singers and dancers from all over came to celebrate, and the city was decorated with lights for days of festivities.
The exquisite Islamic geometric patterns (Girih) on the gate of the Khanqah of Baybars II form complex designs through overlapping and interlacing.
It is very interesting that the threshold of the gate is made of stone blocks carved with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, which is the first time I have ever seen this.
Bayt al-Suhaymi: 1648
Walking west from the Khanqah of Baybars II, you can see the Bayt al-Suhaymi on Darb al-Asfar Street. Built in 1648, it is the best-preserved private residence from the Ottoman period in old Cairo and is now open as a tourist site.
This residence is built around a courtyard (Sahn) with a small garden planted with palm trees in the center. You can see beautiful wooden lattice windows (Mashrabiya) in the courtyard. The south side of the mansion is the original 1648 structure, while the north side was expanded in 1797. It is now named after its last owner, Sheikh Muhammad Amin al-Suhaymi, who was a sheikh at Al-Azhar Mosque. In 1930, King Fuad I of Egypt provided funds to purchase the mansion and placed it under the management of the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Art Monuments.
The ornate ceiling decorations of Bayt al-Suhaymi.
The wood-carved furniture and colorful marble floors inside Bayt al-Suhaymi.
Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar: 1839
Continuing west back to the main road of old Cairo, Al-Mu'izz Street, the first thing you see is the Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar, built in 1839. This fountain has a fancy Ottoman Baroque facade with floral patterns from the European Renaissance. The fountain is made of marble and was used to keep the water cool during the summer. Next to the fountain is a primary school (kuttab) that was once used to teach children how to read, write, and recite scripture. Here, we can also enter the huge underground water reservoir of the fountain, which is rarely seen in typical fountains.
Aqmar Mosque: 1125-6
Walking south along Al-Muizz Street, we stop at the famous Fatimid-era Aqmar Mosque. The Aqmar Mosque was built in 1125-6 by order of the Fatimid vizier Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi. It sits at the northeast corner of the former Eastern Fatimid Palace, right next to the palace grounds.
The Aqmar Mosque holds a groundbreaking place in Egyptian architectural history. It is the first mosque where the entrance is flush with the street rather than aligned with the qibla wall, making it the first mosque planned according to Cairo's street layout. It is also the first mosque to feature complex stone carvings. The facade of the Aqmar Mosque is very luxurious. Above the entrance is a large medallion surrounded by a grille, with the names of the Prophet and Ali in the center and verses written around them. This type of decoration is unique in Cairo.
At the top of the left facade, there are carvings of a door and a window. The window on the left symbolizes the ceremonial grille that the Fatimids took back from the palace of their rivals, the Abbasids in Baghdad, serving as a symbol of victory. Inside the window is a lamp and a six-pointed star, based on the Shia hadith: 'The stars are a promise to the world, and it will not be submerged.' Below the window, there is a carving of a plant growing out of a flower pot, which comes from the Prophet's reference to Hasan and Husayn as 'my two aromatic herbs in the world.' The door in the upper right corner comes from the famous Shia hadith: 'I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.'
Because it was near the Fatimid palace, the Aqmar Mosque did not originally have a minaret. One was not added until the end of the 14th century by the Mamluk dynasty, and the cylindrical top was rebuilt during the Ottoman era.
In 1993, the Dawoodi Bohra branch of the Shia community carried out a large-scale renovation of the Aqmar Mosque. Most of the historical elements inside the main hall were not preserved, which drew criticism.
Madrasa of Emir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar: 1407
Turn back into al-Gamaleya Street along the alley south of the Aqmar Mosque to see the Madrasa of Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar, built in 1407 by the Mamluk general Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar. Jamal al-Din built many structures in Cairo, and al-Gamaleya Street is named after him.
This is a classic cruciform madrasa structure with an open courtyard in the center and an iwan (arched hall) on each of the four sides, each used to teach one of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. The decoration inside the main hall is very ornate, as People say Jamal al-Din modeled it after Mamluk palace designs and invested a large amount of money and materials. Jamal al-Din was executed just four years after the mosque was completed. The Sultan wanted to demolish the site, but a judge (Qadi) stopped him, and in the end, only Jamal al-Din's name was removed.
After the Ottoman Empire conquered Istanbul in 1517, many marble slabs from the inner walls of the madrasa were taken to Istanbul. The building was damaged again in the 1992 earthquake and was not fully restored until 2002.
Dhu al-Fiqar Fountain-Primary School (Sabil-Kuttab): 1673
Opposite the Madrasa of Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar is the Ottoman-era Dhu al-Fiqar Sabil-Kuttab, built in 1673 by Dhu al-Fiqar Katkhuda Mustahfizan and his brother Muhammad. This Sabil-Kuttab consists of two prominent wooden awnings, and the caravanserai (wikala) behind it was once a center for the coffee trade in 18th-century Cairo.
Maq’ad Mamay al-Sayfi Palace: 1496
Continue south to the Maq’ad Mamay al-Sayfi Palace on Beet Al Qadi Street, built in 1496 by the Mamluk general Sayf al-Din Mamay ibn Khadad, who served as a Mamluk diplomat to the Ottoman Empire in the early 1490s.
During the Ottoman period, this place served as a high court and the residence of judges, so it is also called Bayt al-Qadi. In the late 19th century, Egypt's ruler Isma'il Pasha (reigned 1863-79) carried out urban renewal in Cairo, and most of the palace was demolished, leaving only a large house used for summer retreats. The house consists of an upper pavilion and a lower storage room. The lotus capitals of the pavilion are the only example in Islamic architecture in Cairo that directly uses architectural forms from the ancient Egyptian pharaonic era. The interior of the pavilion has complex decorations and calligraphy, but unfortunately, it was not open when we visited.
Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda Sabil-Kuttab: 1744
Walk south from the Aqmar Mosque to see the Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, a fountain-school built in 1744 during the Ottoman era. It is a landmark building on Al-Muizz Street, the main road in Old Cairo. During the Mamluk and Ottoman dynasties, these fountain-schools were very common in Cairo. The ground floor fountain (sabil) provided free drinking water to passersby, while the second floor school (kuttab) taught children how to read and write.
Although this fountain-school was built in the Mamluk style, it incorporates many Ottoman architectural elements. The builder, Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, was a high-ranking Mamluk emir officer known for his noble lifestyle and patronage of the arts. He renovated or built 33 structures in Cairo.
Across from the Khanqah of Baybars II stands the Qitas Bey fountain-school (sabil-kuttab), built in 1630 during the Ottoman period. In the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, most fountain-schools in the old city of Egypt were built on street corners.
Bashtak Palace: 1334-1339.
Southeast of the Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda is the Mamluk-era Bashtak Palace (Qasr Bashtak), built between 1334 and 1339 by the Mamluk emir and general Sayf al-Din Bashtak al-Nasiri. Bashtak was a powerful Mamluk emir who married the daughter of a Mamluk sultan and held important positions in the royal court. He chose a section of the former Fatimid eastern palace to build his own palace and stables, which became a model of Mamluk architecture.
Only a portion of the Bashtak Palace remains today, the most important part being the reception hall (qa'a). The hall features a wooden paneled ceiling, stained glass, and an inlaid marble fountain. The upper level has wooden lattice windows (mashrabiyya), all of which are typical architectural styles of the Mamluk period.
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Summary: This Old Cairo travel account walks inside the northern gate of the historic city and follows its mosques, streets, gates, and layered Islamic history. It keeps the original place names, dates, buildings, and travel route without adding outside claims.
The history of Cairo as a city goes back over a thousand years. Back in the ancient Roman era, the Romans built the Babylon Fortress in the south of Cairo. After the Arabs took Cairo in 641 AD, they built the city of Fustat to the northeast of the Babylon Fortress. Over the next 300 years, Muslim rulers from different dynasties built several cities near Cairo, but none of them survived. In 969 AD, the Shia Fatimid dynasty conquered Egypt and spent four years building what is now the old city of Cairo. By this count, the old city of Cairo is now 1,055 years old.
The walls of old Cairo were started in 969 AD. They were first made of brick, then expanded with stone during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah (reigned 1036-1094), and finally finished in 1087. The north gates of the old city, the Gate of Conquest (Bab al-Futuh) and the Gate of Victory (Bab al-Nasr), were both built during this time. In this article, I will take you through the north gate into old Cairo to experience its thousand-year history.
Gate of Conquest and Gate of Conquest: 1087
The Gate of Conquest is 22 meters high and has two round towers. The stone carving details may have been influenced by Syrian or Byzantine craftsmen. Above the arch, the surface is covered in diamond patterns containing rosettes and crosses. The parts of the towers that hang outward are carved with ram heads, which are symbols of Mars in the zodiac. Inside the gate, the dome and the rectangular space connect through a pendentive, which is a typical feature of Byzantine architecture.
The Gate of Victory is on the east side of the Gate of Conquest. Unlike the round towers of the Gate of Conquest, the towers of the Gate of Victory are square and contain guard rooms and living areas. There are shield carvings above the gate, which symbolize protecting the city from invasion. The shield features an Arabic inscription from its 1087 reconstruction, along with a Shia version of the Shahada that mentions Ali as the friend (wali) of Allah.
Al-Hakim Mosque: 1013.
Right next to the northern wall of Old Cairo stands the Al-Hakim Mosque, named after the sixth Fatimid caliph and the 16th imam of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (reigned 996-1021). The mosque was started in 990 by the fifth Fatimid caliph, al-Aziz Billah (reigned 975-996), and finished in 1013 by Caliph al-Hakim, making it 1,010 years old today.
The Al-Hakim Mosque was originally outside the walls of Cairo, but it was brought inside the city after the walls were rebuilt in 1087. The mosque's architectural style is similar to the Al-Azhar Mosque, but it is twice as large. The most striking features inside are the two minarets built on square brick bases. When the minarets were first built in 1003, they were separate structures, and they were only encased in brick in 1010. Some scholars suggest this might be linked to the ruler of Mecca rejecting Fatimid authority in 1010, which weakened the dynasty's power. The outer wall of the southern brick base has marble Kufic Arabic inscriptions from the Fatimid period, while the Kufic inscriptions on the northern base were moved to the outside of the city wall when it was incorporated into the northern wall of Old Cairo in 1087.
During the Crusades, the mosque was used as a prison by the Franks and later as a stable by Saladin. It was renovated during the Mamluk period in the 14th century but later fell into ruins for a long time. The mosque was renovated in 1808, and a small, colorful marble mihrab added during that time still survives today.
In the 20th century, the mosque served as a school until 1980, when the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Shia Islam carried out a massive reconstruction and renovation using white marble. Inside the main hall after the reconstruction, only the original stucco carvings, wooden beams, and scriptures were preserved. This restoration caused a lack of authenticity that sparked criticism and widespread discussion among scholars. In 2017, the Dawoodi Bohra community and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a new round of restoration, and it did not reopen until February 2023.
Caravanserai of Qaitbay: 1481
Enter the old city of Cairo through the Gate of Victory (Bab al-Futuh) onto El-Gamaleya Street. The first thing you see is the caravanserai (wikala) of Sultan Qaitbay, which is currently under renovation. It was built in 1481 by Sultan Qaitbay (reigned 1468-1496) of the Mamluk dynasty. Qaitbay was one of the Mamluk sultans who sponsored the most architecture. Although the Mamluk dynasty was in decline, the situation remained relatively stable under his rule, and trade flourished.
Like other Mamluk caravanserais (wikala), this place not only provided short-term housing for passing caravans but also offered long-term rental apartment units (rab). It was used as apartments for hundreds of years until the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities began renovations in 2015. Work is still ongoing, and you can still see the wooden lattice windows (mashrabiya) facing the street.
Gate of the Caravanserai of Qawsun: 1341
Continuing south, you can see the remains of the gate of the caravanserai (wikala) of Emir Qawsun. This inn was built in 1341 by the famous Mamluk Emir Qawsun (1302-1342). It was used by soap and coffee merchants from Palestine in the 17th and 18th centuries, so it is also called the Soap Inn. The inn was demolished in 1960 to be rebuilt as a school, and only the gate remains. Above the gate is a stone carving of a pair of cups, because Emir Qawsun once served as the Sultan's cupbearer (saqi).
Qawsun was born on the Kipchak steppe under the rule of the Golden Horde and started out as a merchant. In 1320, Princess Tulunbay of the Golden Horde married the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. Qawsun came to Cairo as part of her entourage and stayed in Cairo to sell leather goods. Qawsun was highly valued by the Sultan in Cairo and became his personal attendant. He then rose quickly through the ranks and married the Sultan's daughter. After the old Sultan died in 1341, Qawsun became the regent and held actual power over the Mamluk dynasty. However, he was defeated by political rivals a few months later and was killed in prison.
Continuing south along El-Gamaleya Street, you can see several more historical buildings.
Khanqah of Baybars II: 1310
On the east side of the middle section of El-Gamaleya Street stands the Khanqah of Baybars II, built in 1310. Baybars II was the 12th Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty and reigned for only one year, from 1309 to 1310. Baybars II served as vice-sultan from 1299 to 1309 and led the Mamluk Sultanate against the Ilkhanate in the Battle of Marj al-Saffar in Syria in 1303. This battle resulted in the total defeat of the Mongol army that had marched west into Syria. People say the Sultan led his captives from the Gate of Victory along El-Gamaleya Street into the old city of Cairo. Singers and dancers from all over came to celebrate, and the city was decorated with lights for days of festivities.
The exquisite Islamic geometric patterns (Girih) on the gate of the Khanqah of Baybars II form complex designs through overlapping and interlacing.
It is very interesting that the threshold of the gate is made of stone blocks carved with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, which is the first time I have ever seen this.
Bayt al-Suhaymi: 1648
Walking west from the Khanqah of Baybars II, you can see the Bayt al-Suhaymi on Darb al-Asfar Street. Built in 1648, it is the best-preserved private residence from the Ottoman period in old Cairo and is now open as a tourist site.
This residence is built around a courtyard (Sahn) with a small garden planted with palm trees in the center. You can see beautiful wooden lattice windows (Mashrabiya) in the courtyard. The south side of the mansion is the original 1648 structure, while the north side was expanded in 1797. It is now named after its last owner, Sheikh Muhammad Amin al-Suhaymi, who was a sheikh at Al-Azhar Mosque. In 1930, King Fuad I of Egypt provided funds to purchase the mansion and placed it under the management of the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Art Monuments.
The ornate ceiling decorations of Bayt al-Suhaymi.
The wood-carved furniture and colorful marble floors inside Bayt al-Suhaymi.
Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar: 1839
Continuing west back to the main road of old Cairo, Al-Mu'izz Street, the first thing you see is the Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar, built in 1839. This fountain has a fancy Ottoman Baroque facade with floral patterns from the European Renaissance. The fountain is made of marble and was used to keep the water cool during the summer. Next to the fountain is a primary school (kuttab) that was once used to teach children how to read, write, and recite scripture. Here, we can also enter the huge underground water reservoir of the fountain, which is rarely seen in typical fountains.
Aqmar Mosque: 1125-6
Walking south along Al-Muizz Street, we stop at the famous Fatimid-era Aqmar Mosque. The Aqmar Mosque was built in 1125-6 by order of the Fatimid vizier Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi. It sits at the northeast corner of the former Eastern Fatimid Palace, right next to the palace grounds.
The Aqmar Mosque holds a groundbreaking place in Egyptian architectural history. It is the first mosque where the entrance is flush with the street rather than aligned with the qibla wall, making it the first mosque planned according to Cairo's street layout. It is also the first mosque to feature complex stone carvings. The facade of the Aqmar Mosque is very luxurious. Above the entrance is a large medallion surrounded by a grille, with the names of the Prophet and Ali in the center and verses written around them. This type of decoration is unique in Cairo.
At the top of the left facade, there are carvings of a door and a window. The window on the left symbolizes the ceremonial grille that the Fatimids took back from the palace of their rivals, the Abbasids in Baghdad, serving as a symbol of victory. Inside the window is a lamp and a six-pointed star, based on the Shia hadith: 'The stars are a promise to the world, and it will not be submerged.' Below the window, there is a carving of a plant growing out of a flower pot, which comes from the Prophet's reference to Hasan and Husayn as 'my two aromatic herbs in the world.' The door in the upper right corner comes from the famous Shia hadith: 'I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.'
Because it was near the Fatimid palace, the Aqmar Mosque did not originally have a minaret. One was not added until the end of the 14th century by the Mamluk dynasty, and the cylindrical top was rebuilt during the Ottoman era.
In 1993, the Dawoodi Bohra branch of the Shia community carried out a large-scale renovation of the Aqmar Mosque. Most of the historical elements inside the main hall were not preserved, which drew criticism.
Madrasa of Emir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar: 1407
Turn back into al-Gamaleya Street along the alley south of the Aqmar Mosque to see the Madrasa of Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar, built in 1407 by the Mamluk general Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar. Jamal al-Din built many structures in Cairo, and al-Gamaleya Street is named after him.
This is a classic cruciform madrasa structure with an open courtyard in the center and an iwan (arched hall) on each of the four sides, each used to teach one of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. The decoration inside the main hall is very ornate, as People say Jamal al-Din modeled it after Mamluk palace designs and invested a large amount of money and materials. Jamal al-Din was executed just four years after the mosque was completed. The Sultan wanted to demolish the site, but a judge (Qadi) stopped him, and in the end, only Jamal al-Din's name was removed.
After the Ottoman Empire conquered Istanbul in 1517, many marble slabs from the inner walls of the madrasa were taken to Istanbul. The building was damaged again in the 1992 earthquake and was not fully restored until 2002.
Dhu al-Fiqar Fountain-Primary School (Sabil-Kuttab): 1673
Opposite the Madrasa of Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar is the Ottoman-era Dhu al-Fiqar Sabil-Kuttab, built in 1673 by Dhu al-Fiqar Katkhuda Mustahfizan and his brother Muhammad. This Sabil-Kuttab consists of two prominent wooden awnings, and the caravanserai (wikala) behind it was once a center for the coffee trade in 18th-century Cairo.
Maq’ad Mamay al-Sayfi Palace: 1496
Continue south to the Maq’ad Mamay al-Sayfi Palace on Beet Al Qadi Street, built in 1496 by the Mamluk general Sayf al-Din Mamay ibn Khadad, who served as a Mamluk diplomat to the Ottoman Empire in the early 1490s.
During the Ottoman period, this place served as a high court and the residence of judges, so it is also called Bayt al-Qadi. In the late 19th century, Egypt's ruler Isma'il Pasha (reigned 1863-79) carried out urban renewal in Cairo, and most of the palace was demolished, leaving only a large house used for summer retreats. The house consists of an upper pavilion and a lower storage room. The lotus capitals of the pavilion are the only example in Islamic architecture in Cairo that directly uses architectural forms from the ancient Egyptian pharaonic era. The interior of the pavilion has complex decorations and calligraphy, but unfortunately, it was not open when we visited.
Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda Sabil-Kuttab: 1744
Walk south from the Aqmar Mosque to see the Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, a fountain-school built in 1744 during the Ottoman era. It is a landmark building on Al-Muizz Street, the main road in Old Cairo. During the Mamluk and Ottoman dynasties, these fountain-schools were very common in Cairo. The ground floor fountain (sabil) provided free drinking water to passersby, while the second floor school (kuttab) taught children how to read and write.
Although this fountain-school was built in the Mamluk style, it incorporates many Ottoman architectural elements. The builder, Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, was a high-ranking Mamluk emir officer known for his noble lifestyle and patronage of the arts. He renovated or built 33 structures in Cairo.
Across from the Khanqah of Baybars II stands the Qitas Bey fountain-school (sabil-kuttab), built in 1630 during the Ottoman period. In the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, most fountain-schools in the old city of Egypt were built on street corners.
Bashtak Palace: 1334-1339.
Southeast of the Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda is the Mamluk-era Bashtak Palace (Qasr Bashtak), built between 1334 and 1339 by the Mamluk emir and general Sayf al-Din Bashtak al-Nasiri. Bashtak was a powerful Mamluk emir who married the daughter of a Mamluk sultan and held important positions in the royal court. He chose a section of the former Fatimid eastern palace to build his own palace and stables, which became a model of Mamluk architecture.
Only a portion of the Bashtak Palace remains today, the most important part being the reception hall (qa'a). The hall features a wooden paneled ceiling, stained glass, and an inlaid marble fountain. The upper level has wooden lattice windows (mashrabiyya), all of which are typical architectural styles of the Mamluk period.
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Halal Food Guide: Malaysia - Halal Chinese Food in Kuala Lumpur (Part 2)
Reposted from the web
Summary: This short second part continues the Malaysia halal Chinese food record with the remaining images and notes from the trip. It preserves the original sequence and visual food references rather than expanding beyond the source.
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Summary: This short second part continues the Malaysia halal Chinese food record with the remaining images and notes from the trip. It preserves the original sequence and visual food references rather than expanding beyond the source.
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Halal Food Guide: Singapore - Halal Chinese Food and Muslim-Friendly Eats
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Singapore article follows the author through halal Chinese food stops after arriving in the city. It preserves the original restaurant names, dishes, prices, and food observations in clear English.
After landing at Singapore Changi Airport, I took the subway directly to Kembangan station to eat prawn noodles at the famous Chinese Muslim restaurant Deanna's Kitchen, which is the most famous halal prawn noodle spot in Singapore.
The restaurant owner, Denise Chew (also known as Deanna), converted to Islam in 2009 when she married her husband, Asri Ramili, and prawn noodles were her favorite food before she converted. Because traditional Chinese prawn noodles are made with pork bone broth, pork meat, and lard, it took her six years to develop a halal version. Deanna makes the broth by simmering chicken bones, prawn shells, dried shrimp, and anchovies for three hours, and the resulting noodles are so popular that she started selling them online.
Deanna and her husband Asri both worked in banking, but as the prawn noodle business grew, Asri quit his job in 2017 to open a noodle stall. The stall soon had long lines and sold out early every day. That is how the physical Deanna's Kitchen shops opened, and now there is one in Jurong East and one in Kembangan.
They serve regular prawn noodles and a hearty seafood platter. We ordered the top-tier version, which includes one Boston lobster, five tiger prawns, five large prawns, one crayfish, and 20 clams. You can choose different sides and noodles like yellow noodles, laksa noodles, rice vermicelli, or flat rice noodles (kway teow). We chose laksa noodles.
We visited Jason Niang Dou Fu in Kampong Glam to taste traditional Hakka stuffed vegetables. In the Hakka dialect, 'niang' means to fill with stuffing. Legend has it that after the Hakka people migrated south from the Central Plains, they wanted to eat dumplings but had no wheat, so they used tofu instead of flour and invented stuffed tofu (niang dou fu). Besides stuffed tofu, the Hakka are good at using local ingredients. Many foods can be stuffed, such as chili peppers, eggplants, bitter melons, and taro. Tofu, eggplant, and bitter melon are known as the 'three stuffed treasures' (jian niang san bao).
Jason Niang Dou Fu is a bit like a spicy hot pot (malatang) shop in China, where you can pick your own stuffed vegetables and greens from the counter. You can also choose staples like flat rice noodles (kway teow), rice vermicelli, or egg noodles (mian zai). The Teochew taro rice (Yam Rice) and Teochew dry egg noodles (Mee Pok) are both worth a try.
The Dim Sum Place is a very famous halal Hong Kong-style tea restaurant in Singapore, specializing in a wide variety of dim sum and Cantonese dishes. They opened on North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam in 2016 and now have two more branches, making them very popular with Muslims.
We ordered steamed chicken feet in sauce, shrimp and chicken steamed dumplings (shaomai), roasted chicken char siu rice noodle rolls (cheong fun), fish fillet porridge, and pu'er tea. Since we were there for afternoon tea and not a full meal, there was still a lot we wanted to try but didn't order. We liked the fish fillet porridge the best, and the chicken feet and shaomai were okay, but the rice noodle rolls were just average; they felt too soft and lacked texture.
If you visit the National Museum of Singapore and Fort Canning Park, it is well worth stopping by the nearby MacKenzie Rex Restaurant to try their authentic halal Hainanese chicken rice. MacKenzie Rex Restaurant opened in 1966. It is the first and most famous halal Hainanese chicken rice restaurant in Singapore. The owner is a Hainanese Chinese person who speaks great Mandarin and is very happy to introduce the dishes to guests. Besides Hainanese chicken rice, they are also good at making various home-style Chinese dishes, known in Singapore as zi char (home-style stir-fry).
We ordered the classic chicken rice and five-spice meat rolls (ngor hiang), along with stir-fried mixed vegetables and fish soup. Everything was delicious, and it was arguably the best meal of our Singapore trip. The best part of their chicken rice is not the chicken itself, but the rice steamed with chicken fat. You can eat it plain and never want to stop. The halal version of the five-spice meat roll is made by adding five-spice powder to chicken filling, wrapping it in bean curd skin, and deep-frying it. It is very fragrant when freshly fried.
If you take a half-day trip to Pulau Ubin in Singapore, it is perfect to have a meal at the halal tea restaurant Tang Tea House next to the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. They serve authentic halal Chinese stir-fry (tze-char) and dim sum with a huge variety of choices.
We ordered stir-fried amaranth with anchovies, chicken chop rice, beef porridge, and lemongrass water. We also ordered a classic Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese dish called Buddha's bowl (fo bo piao xiang), which is a taro ring served with cashew chicken and various vegetables. We actually picked it randomly from the menu, but it was surprisingly delicious and we finished it all very quickly.
Tang Tea House opened in 2005. It started because many of the owner's Muslim friends told him they wanted to eat Chinese food but rarely found halal Chinese restaurants. He saw the opportunity and opened Tang Tea House, which has now grown to five locations and is doing very well.
If you travel from Singapore to Johor Bahru, you can grab a quick bite at the TuanTuan. PuanPuan stall at the Woodlands MRT station while transferring. The name means 'ladies and gentlemen' in Malay. There are three stalls inside. The first sells Malay coconut milk rice (nasi lemak), the second sells stir-fried rice vermicelli and stir-fried flat rice noodles (char kway teow) where you can add fish cakes, dried tofu, or five-spice meat rolls, and the third stall sells chicken rice. However, it was quite late when we returned from Johor Bahru and many items were sold out, so we just ordered the chicken rice and stir-fried rice vermicelli.
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Summary: This Singapore article follows the author through halal Chinese food stops after arriving in the city. It preserves the original restaurant names, dishes, prices, and food observations in clear English.
After landing at Singapore Changi Airport, I took the subway directly to Kembangan station to eat prawn noodles at the famous Chinese Muslim restaurant Deanna's Kitchen, which is the most famous halal prawn noodle spot in Singapore.
The restaurant owner, Denise Chew (also known as Deanna), converted to Islam in 2009 when she married her husband, Asri Ramili, and prawn noodles were her favorite food before she converted. Because traditional Chinese prawn noodles are made with pork bone broth, pork meat, and lard, it took her six years to develop a halal version. Deanna makes the broth by simmering chicken bones, prawn shells, dried shrimp, and anchovies for three hours, and the resulting noodles are so popular that she started selling them online.
Deanna and her husband Asri both worked in banking, but as the prawn noodle business grew, Asri quit his job in 2017 to open a noodle stall. The stall soon had long lines and sold out early every day. That is how the physical Deanna's Kitchen shops opened, and now there is one in Jurong East and one in Kembangan.
They serve regular prawn noodles and a hearty seafood platter. We ordered the top-tier version, which includes one Boston lobster, five tiger prawns, five large prawns, one crayfish, and 20 clams. You can choose different sides and noodles like yellow noodles, laksa noodles, rice vermicelli, or flat rice noodles (kway teow). We chose laksa noodles.
We visited Jason Niang Dou Fu in Kampong Glam to taste traditional Hakka stuffed vegetables. In the Hakka dialect, 'niang' means to fill with stuffing. Legend has it that after the Hakka people migrated south from the Central Plains, they wanted to eat dumplings but had no wheat, so they used tofu instead of flour and invented stuffed tofu (niang dou fu). Besides stuffed tofu, the Hakka are good at using local ingredients. Many foods can be stuffed, such as chili peppers, eggplants, bitter melons, and taro. Tofu, eggplant, and bitter melon are known as the 'three stuffed treasures' (jian niang san bao).
Jason Niang Dou Fu is a bit like a spicy hot pot (malatang) shop in China, where you can pick your own stuffed vegetables and greens from the counter. You can also choose staples like flat rice noodles (kway teow), rice vermicelli, or egg noodles (mian zai). The Teochew taro rice (Yam Rice) and Teochew dry egg noodles (Mee Pok) are both worth a try.
The Dim Sum Place is a very famous halal Hong Kong-style tea restaurant in Singapore, specializing in a wide variety of dim sum and Cantonese dishes. They opened on North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam in 2016 and now have two more branches, making them very popular with Muslims.
We ordered steamed chicken feet in sauce, shrimp and chicken steamed dumplings (shaomai), roasted chicken char siu rice noodle rolls (cheong fun), fish fillet porridge, and pu'er tea. Since we were there for afternoon tea and not a full meal, there was still a lot we wanted to try but didn't order. We liked the fish fillet porridge the best, and the chicken feet and shaomai were okay, but the rice noodle rolls were just average; they felt too soft and lacked texture.
If you visit the National Museum of Singapore and Fort Canning Park, it is well worth stopping by the nearby MacKenzie Rex Restaurant to try their authentic halal Hainanese chicken rice. MacKenzie Rex Restaurant opened in 1966. It is the first and most famous halal Hainanese chicken rice restaurant in Singapore. The owner is a Hainanese Chinese person who speaks great Mandarin and is very happy to introduce the dishes to guests. Besides Hainanese chicken rice, they are also good at making various home-style Chinese dishes, known in Singapore as zi char (home-style stir-fry).
We ordered the classic chicken rice and five-spice meat rolls (ngor hiang), along with stir-fried mixed vegetables and fish soup. Everything was delicious, and it was arguably the best meal of our Singapore trip. The best part of their chicken rice is not the chicken itself, but the rice steamed with chicken fat. You can eat it plain and never want to stop. The halal version of the five-spice meat roll is made by adding five-spice powder to chicken filling, wrapping it in bean curd skin, and deep-frying it. It is very fragrant when freshly fried.
If you take a half-day trip to Pulau Ubin in Singapore, it is perfect to have a meal at the halal tea restaurant Tang Tea House next to the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. They serve authentic halal Chinese stir-fry (tze-char) and dim sum with a huge variety of choices.
We ordered stir-fried amaranth with anchovies, chicken chop rice, beef porridge, and lemongrass water. We also ordered a classic Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese dish called Buddha's bowl (fo bo piao xiang), which is a taro ring served with cashew chicken and various vegetables. We actually picked it randomly from the menu, but it was surprisingly delicious and we finished it all very quickly.
Tang Tea House opened in 2005. It started because many of the owner's Muslim friends told him they wanted to eat Chinese food but rarely found halal Chinese restaurants. He saw the opportunity and opened Tang Tea House, which has now grown to five locations and is doing very well.
If you travel from Singapore to Johor Bahru, you can grab a quick bite at the TuanTuan. PuanPuan stall at the Woodlands MRT station while transferring. The name means 'ladies and gentlemen' in Malay. There are three stalls inside. The first sells Malay coconut milk rice (nasi lemak), the second sells stir-fried rice vermicelli and stir-fried flat rice noodles (char kway teow) where you can add fish cakes, dried tofu, or five-spice meat rolls, and the third stall sells chicken rice. However, it was quite late when we returned from Johor Bahru and many items were sold out, so we just ordered the chicken rice and stir-fried rice vermicelli.
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Halal Food Guide: Singapore - Peranakan Nyonya Cuisine and Muslim Travel
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Singapore food note focuses on Peranakan Nyonya cuisine and the dishes the author tasted during the trip. It keeps the original food names, flavors, restaurant details, and travel observations while making the English direct and readable.
In Singapore, we found a halal-certified Peranakan restaurant called Old Bibik's Peranakan Kitchen on Joo Chiat Road. The owner, Adrian, is a Baba Nyonya himself, and many dishes in the shop come from his late grandmother. The name Old Bibik is in her memory.
Baba Nyonya, also known as Peranakan, are a group formed by Hokkien, Teochew, and Hakka immigrants who moved to Phuket, Penang, Malacca, and Singapore from the 15th century onwards and married local Malays and Sumatrans. The Joo Chiat area, where Old Bibik's Peranakan Kitchen is located, is an important settlement for Singapore's Baba Nyonya people. In the early 19th century, Baba Nyonya merchants like Tan Tock Seng opened nutmeg plantations in areas bordering Singapore's Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. Many moved to the Joo Chiat area after the 1920s and 1930s. Today, it still preserves many century-old Baba Nyonya shophouses and quite a few Nyonya restaurants.
Baba Nyonya absorbed Malay language and culture, using a Baba Malay language that includes many Hokkien words. They wear batik sarongs, and Nyonya cuisine is a unique style formed by blending Chinese ingredients with Malay and Indonesian spices and cooking methods.
We ordered classic Nyonya dishes: chicken with black nuts (Ayam Buah Keluak), mixed vegetables (Chap Chye), and beef rendang (Rendang) rice. We also had bean curd pudding (Tau Huey).
Chicken with black nuts is chicken stewed with Indonesian black nuts and various spices like tamarind. Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew loved this dish. Indonesian black nuts originally came from the mangrove swamps of Java and Sumatra. They were brought to Malacca in the 15th century and became an important spice in Nyonya cuisine.
Mixed vegetables is a Nyonya stir-fry dish originating from Fujian. Various vegetables are chopped and stir-fried, and the ingredients vary by family depending on the season and taste.
Rendang originated in the Minangkabau region of Sumatra. It was brought to Malacca by the Minangkabau people in the 16th century and has since become part of Nyonya cuisine. Rendang is made by slowly cooking meat in coconut milk and various spices until all the liquid dries up and the meat turns dark brown. Dry rendang can be stored for a month, making it perfect for travel.
Nyonya bean curd pudding is a bit like cendol, topped with pandan jelly noodles, red beans, and grass jelly, and can be drizzled with palm sugar syrup.
In Bedok North Street in eastern Singapore, there is a 60-year-old shop called Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery. It has a shop in the front and a factory in the back, selling all kinds of halal Nyonya cakes (kuih). Lek Lim started making and selling Nyonya cakes at home in 1960, opened the current shop in 1972, and applied for halal certification in 2011 so that more communities could taste the delicious Nyonya cakes.
Nyonya cakes have a rich variety of flavors. They are made by steaming, frying, or baking, and come in sweet, salty, and spicy versions. The main ingredients include glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and tapioca flour, with toppings like pandan, coconut milk, mung beans, red beans, and peanuts. A soft, chewy texture and bright colors are the main features of Nyonya kuih.
We bought the famous red tortoise cake (ang ku kueh), also called red rice cake (hongban) in Hakka. The skin is made from glutinous rice flour and sweet potato flour, filled with mung beans, peanuts, and sugar, then steamed on a banana leaf. We also bought Nyonya nine-layer cake (jiucenggao). This is a layered dessert steamed with rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and various food colorings. It has a soft, chewy texture, and you can peel off the layers one by one to eat.
Bamboo shoot dumpling (sunguo) originated in Chaozhou. Although it looks a bit like a dumpling, the skin is actually made of rice flour or tapioca flour, and the filling contains jicama, bamboo shoots, and dried shrimp. Chive dumpling (jiucaiguo) is another type of Chaozhou steamed dumpling. Like the bamboo shoot dumpling, the skin is made of rice flour or tapioca flour, and it is filled with chives and dried shrimp.
Finally, we bought white taro cake (baiyuguo), which is a taro cake made with shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and other ingredients.
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Summary: This Singapore food note focuses on Peranakan Nyonya cuisine and the dishes the author tasted during the trip. It keeps the original food names, flavors, restaurant details, and travel observations while making the English direct and readable.
In Singapore, we found a halal-certified Peranakan restaurant called Old Bibik's Peranakan Kitchen on Joo Chiat Road. The owner, Adrian, is a Baba Nyonya himself, and many dishes in the shop come from his late grandmother. The name Old Bibik is in her memory.
Baba Nyonya, also known as Peranakan, are a group formed by Hokkien, Teochew, and Hakka immigrants who moved to Phuket, Penang, Malacca, and Singapore from the 15th century onwards and married local Malays and Sumatrans. The Joo Chiat area, where Old Bibik's Peranakan Kitchen is located, is an important settlement for Singapore's Baba Nyonya people. In the early 19th century, Baba Nyonya merchants like Tan Tock Seng opened nutmeg plantations in areas bordering Singapore's Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. Many moved to the Joo Chiat area after the 1920s and 1930s. Today, it still preserves many century-old Baba Nyonya shophouses and quite a few Nyonya restaurants.
Baba Nyonya absorbed Malay language and culture, using a Baba Malay language that includes many Hokkien words. They wear batik sarongs, and Nyonya cuisine is a unique style formed by blending Chinese ingredients with Malay and Indonesian spices and cooking methods.
We ordered classic Nyonya dishes: chicken with black nuts (Ayam Buah Keluak), mixed vegetables (Chap Chye), and beef rendang (Rendang) rice. We also had bean curd pudding (Tau Huey).
Chicken with black nuts is chicken stewed with Indonesian black nuts and various spices like tamarind. Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew loved this dish. Indonesian black nuts originally came from the mangrove swamps of Java and Sumatra. They were brought to Malacca in the 15th century and became an important spice in Nyonya cuisine.
Mixed vegetables is a Nyonya stir-fry dish originating from Fujian. Various vegetables are chopped and stir-fried, and the ingredients vary by family depending on the season and taste.
Rendang originated in the Minangkabau region of Sumatra. It was brought to Malacca by the Minangkabau people in the 16th century and has since become part of Nyonya cuisine. Rendang is made by slowly cooking meat in coconut milk and various spices until all the liquid dries up and the meat turns dark brown. Dry rendang can be stored for a month, making it perfect for travel.
Nyonya bean curd pudding is a bit like cendol, topped with pandan jelly noodles, red beans, and grass jelly, and can be drizzled with palm sugar syrup.
In Bedok North Street in eastern Singapore, there is a 60-year-old shop called Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery. It has a shop in the front and a factory in the back, selling all kinds of halal Nyonya cakes (kuih). Lek Lim started making and selling Nyonya cakes at home in 1960, opened the current shop in 1972, and applied for halal certification in 2011 so that more communities could taste the delicious Nyonya cakes.
Nyonya cakes have a rich variety of flavors. They are made by steaming, frying, or baking, and come in sweet, salty, and spicy versions. The main ingredients include glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and tapioca flour, with toppings like pandan, coconut milk, mung beans, red beans, and peanuts. A soft, chewy texture and bright colors are the main features of Nyonya kuih.
We bought the famous red tortoise cake (ang ku kueh), also called red rice cake (hongban) in Hakka. The skin is made from glutinous rice flour and sweet potato flour, filled with mung beans, peanuts, and sugar, then steamed on a banana leaf. We also bought Nyonya nine-layer cake (jiucenggao). This is a layered dessert steamed with rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and various food colorings. It has a soft, chewy texture, and you can peel off the layers one by one to eat.
Bamboo shoot dumpling (sunguo) originated in Chaozhou. Although it looks a bit like a dumpling, the skin is actually made of rice flour or tapioca flour, and the filling contains jicama, bamboo shoots, and dried shrimp. Chive dumpling (jiucaiguo) is another type of Chaozhou steamed dumpling. Like the bamboo shoot dumpling, the skin is made of rice flour or tapioca flour, and it is filled with chives and dried shrimp.
Finally, we bought white taro cake (baiyuguo), which is a taro cake made with shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and other ingredients.
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Halal Travel Guide: Singapore - Indian Muslim Mosques and Heritage (Part 1)
Reposted from the web
Summary: This first Singapore article introduces Indian Muslim culture through mosques, streets, migration history, food, and everyday community life. It keeps the original travel sequence and cultural facts while using simple English for global readers.
Since the British arrived in Singapore in 1819, Indian Muslims have continuously come to the island as laborers, merchants, and soldiers. After the 20th century, more Indian Muslims settled in Singapore. Most were Tamils from the Coromandel Coast in southeastern India, but there were also Gujaratis from western India, Malabaris from the southwest, and even Dawoodi Bohras and Ahmadis. Over time, the diverse and integrated Indian Muslim culture has become an important part of Singaporean culture. This time, I will take you to experience Singapore's Indian Muslim culture by visiting various Indian mosques, tasting Indian food, and touring the Indian Heritage Centre and the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre.
Indian mosques and shrines (gongbei) in Chinatown.
Al-Abrar Mosque is located on Telok Ayer Street in Singapore's Chinatown. It was built in 1827 by Tamil Muslims from the Coromandel Coast in southeastern India. They were also known as Chulias and mostly worked as merchants or money changers in Chinatown at the time, so this place is also called the Chulia Mosque.
Al-Abrar Mosque is one of Singapore's oldest mosques. It started as a thatched hut, was rebuilt as a brick building with Indian features between 1850 and 1855, and was renovated into its current appearance between 1986 and 1989. The mosque sits in a row of shophouses on Telok Ayer Street and blends seamlessly with the surrounding buildings. The main entrance has two octagonal minarets topped with star and crescent symbols. The interior features European neoclassical design elements, including Doric columns and French-style shutters. Today, the mosque continues to serve the Indian Muslim community. Muslims from other ethnic groups working nearby also come here for worship, especially during the Friday congregational prayer (Jumu'ah).
Jamae Mosque is located on South Bridge Road in Singapore's Chinatown. It was the main congregational mosque built by the Chulias in Chinatown, and like Al-Abrar Mosque, it is also known as a Chulia mosque.
Jamae Mosque was founded in 1826 and rebuilt into its current form between 1830 and 1835. The mosque's main gate has a distinct South Indian style. It features two seven-story towers on either side, each with a pair of niches on every level, and a central design modeled after a traditional Indian fortress gate. The design is very intricate. The main prayer hall features the neoclassical style typical of Singapore's colonial era, the same style used for the Old Parliament House built during the same period.
Today, Jamae Mosque remains a place of worship for Chulia Muslims and is one of the few mosques in Singapore that offers religious classes in the Tamil language. This was also my first time seeing the walls of a main prayer hall inscribed in three languages: Arabic, English, and Tamil.
The Nagore Dargha mosque (Nagore Dargha) is located on Telok Ayer Street, not far from the Al-Abrar Mosque. It was built by the Chulia people between 1828 and 1830 and serves as an important Sufi shrine (gongbei) for the Chulia community in Singapore.
The Nagore Dargha mosque was built to honor the famous 16th-century Indian Sufi saint, Syed Shahul Hamid. Shahul Hamid arrived in the town of Nagore in the Tamil Nadu state of southeastern India in 1533 to preach, and he passed away there in 1570. Legend says he performed many miracles in Nagore and even healed the king of the Vijayanagara Empire in India. To honor Shahul Hamid, locals built a shrine (gongbei) over his tomb. It later became an important Sufi center for Tamil Muslims, and many sailors and seafarers would visit the shrine to offer dua for a safe journey before heading out to sea.
After Tamil Muslims immigrated to Penang and Singapore in the 19th century, they built a shrine in each city to honor the saint, modeling the architecture after the original shrine in Nagore. The Singapore shrine uses an eclectic style, featuring a 14-tier square minaret with niches on the outside, and Doric-style pilasters, arches, and large French-style windows on the inside.
In 2011, the Nagore Dargha mosque became the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre, which provides a detailed introduction to the history and culture of Indian Muslims in Singapore.
A Quran (Guerani) copied around 1900, which uses a rare linen binding method.
An introduction to the Arwi script. Arwi is a script that uses Arabic letters to write the Tamil language, similar to the Xiao'erjing (xiaojing) used by Hui Muslims. The Arwi script includes 13 additional letters not found in the Arabic alphabet.
Items from an Indian Muslim wedding in Singapore during the 20th century.
Tamil language works by Singaporean Tamil Muslims.
Daily items used by Indian Muslims in Singapore.
Items brought by Muslim families who arrived in Singapore from Kadayanallur and Tenkasi in South India after World War I.
The India of Little India
Mosques, food, and the Indian Heritage Centre
Little India is the busiest and most crowded place I visited in Singapore. It feels bigger and more like India than the Little Indias in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Along the sides of the covered walkways (qilou) are various Indian restaurants, flower shops, and grocery stores, with many people of Indian descent busy shopping.
Unlike Chinatown or Kampong Glam, Little India was not designated for the Indian community by Sir Stamford Raffles. It was known as Serangoon until the 1980s. In the 1820s, the British built lime pits and brick kilns along Serangoon Road, and Indian laborers began working there. After the brick kilns closed in 1860, Serangoon developed a cattle industry, followed by the establishment of slaughterhouses, tanneries, and milk vendors. These industries attracted more Indians to settle here, along with others who worked nearby as port laborers and junior office clerks.
The British colonial authorities began building covered walkways (qilou) in Serangoon in the 1920s. More Indian immigrants arrived to open shops selling Indian saris, spices, and flowers, and the layout of Little India was officially formed. After Singapore was established in 1965, the government carried out urban renewal in Serangoon to improve living conditions for the local Indian residents. In the 1980s, to promote tourism, Singapore officially named the area Little India.
Abdul Gafoor Mosque is located at the southern end of Little India. It dates back to 1859, and in 1907, it was rebuilt into its current structure by Shaik Abdul Gafoor, a South Indian Tamil Muslim who worked as a chief clerk at a law firm. Abdul Gafoor raised funds by building shophouses near the mosque, some of which still stand today.
Abdul Gafoor Mosque blends Saracenic (Mughal Revival) style with Neoclassical style, featuring complex arch designs and a dome inspired by ancient Roman architecture. It is very interesting that you can see a basement inside the main prayer hall. It was only rediscovered in 1998, and after renovations, the hall can now accommodate 1,200 people.
The original congregation of Abdul Gafoor Mosque mainly consisted of Tamils from South India and Baweanese people from Bawean Island in East Java. At that time, many Tamils worked nearby as merchants and port laborers, while many Baweanese worked as horse trainers and grooms at the adjacent racecourse. The mosque installed electric lighting in 1928, making it the first mosque in Singapore to have electric lights.
Today, Abdul Gafoor Mosque continues to serve the South Indian Tamil Muslim community in Singapore and offers religious classes in the Tamil language. This is also one of the few Hanafi mosques in Singapore, where the way of performing worship is the same as that of Hui Muslims, unlike the Shafi'i school followed by the Malay people. The prayer time here is one hour later than in other Shafi'i mosques. At other times, you can see some Muslims who follow the Shafi'i school forming their own separate prayer group at the back of the main hall, which is a very unique scene in Singapore.
At the Indian restaurant by the mosque entrance, everyone drinks lamb bone broth (yangtang) after namaz. It is very comfortable to have a bowl on a rainy day.
Opposite Abdul Gafoor Mosque, at the northern end of Little India, is Angullia Mosque, which was established by Gujarati Muslims from western India. The Angullia family came to Singapore from Gujarat state in the 19th century to do business. In the late 19th century, Mohammed Salleh Eussoofjee Angullia accumulated great wealth through the trade of spices, sugar, timber, and tableware, becoming a prominent figure in Singapore's Indian Muslim community. In 1890, the Angullia family donated the land, and Angullia Mosque was built in 1892. The Angullia family has managed the mosque ever since.
Angullia Mosque was rebuilt in 1970 and expanded again in 2020 to its current appearance. Only the gatehouse built in 1890 has been preserved to this day. Angullia Mosque is the mosque where I have seen the largest number of people praying in Singapore. As the time approached, a queue formed outside the ablution area. People filled the entire main hall, and those who arrived late had to wait outside because they could not get in. After namaz, the imam immediately told everyone to leave in an orderly manner, and the people waiting outside would form a new prayer group after everyone left.
There are water-saving signs in the ablution area, and similar hadith are posted in several places. I think they are quite meaningful.
If you want to experience Indian halal food in Singapore's Little India, the most convenient place is Tekka Centre (zhujiao basha). It has a row of stalls all run by Indian Muslims, and the prices are very cheap. We first drank a bowl of lamb trotter curry soup, which was hot and perfect for a rainy day. Then we ate freshly made almond flatbread (badam naan) with minced lamb curry. Many people eat it this way, tearing off the flatbread to dip into the curry and eating it bit by bit, finally wiping up every last drop of the sauce.
Tekka Centre was first built in 1915. In the 1930s, it became popular for its wide variety of fresh meat, vegetables, and seafood, and was known to the public as the 'People's Market'. The current building was finished in 1981, and most of the stall owners inside have been running their businesses for two or three generations.
I had a cup of pulled tea (teh tarik) at the Tekka Centre, then looked around at the Indian clothing on the second floor. The saris are all very sparkly, and there are tailor shops where you can buy fabric and have clothes made on the spot.
If you want to learn more about the history and culture of Singapore's Indian community, I highly recommend visiting the Indian Heritage Centre in Little India. The main exhibition hall is organized by timeline and covers five parts: early contact, origins and migration, early Indian communities in Singapore and Malaya, the social and political awakening of Indians in Singapore and Malaya, and the contributions of Indians to Singapore. Of course, this includes the culture of Singapore's Indian Muslims.
A map showing the migration of Tamils from the Coromandel Coast in southeastern India and Sri Lanka to Singapore and Malaya.
Several areas where Indian communities lived in Singapore during the 19th and 20th centuries.
A group portrait of Singaporean Indians with the Angullia Mosque in Little India in the background.
The luggage that Indian immigrants brought with them when they first arrived in Singapore, along with a passport and family photo belonging to a Muslim merchant who came to Singapore from Gujarat, India, in 1936.
A set of clay figurines of 19th-century Indian merchants.
Clothing worn by Tamil Muslims from the Coromandel Coast of southeastern India in the mid-18th century.
Velvet Arabic calligraphy embroidery from Andhra Pradesh, India, dating to the 20th century.
Indian book stands (rehal) from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Calligraphy from the Deccan region of India, dated 1600.
Various traditional Indian hats from the 20th century.
The Talapa of the Chetti people in Malacca, which is a type of batik headwrap.
The Khoja Turban worn by the Ismaili Shia Khoja people from Gujarat, India. Khoja comes from the Persian words 'Khwaja' or 'Hodja'. They began converting from Hinduism to Islam in the 13th century, and while they hold a Muslim identity, they have kept strong Indian caste customs.
Headwear worn by grooms and boys during circumcision in the mid-20th century.
A 19th-century portrait of Indian Muslims.
A 19th-century procession of Shia Muslims in India during Ashura. On the right is a model of the tombs of Imam Hussein and Hassan called Ta'ziya, and you can also see Alam flags.
An Alam flagpole carried by Shia Muslims in South India during an Ashura procession in the 19th century.
The tiled facade of a mosque in Multan, Pakistan, from 1897-1898, made using the traditional local Kashikari tile-firing technique. This type of tile decoration originated in the Mughal Empire and was influenced by Persian and Sufi cultures.
Indians in Kampong Glam.
Mosques and restaurants.
Kampong Glam is the first planned Muslim community in Singapore. In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles gave Kampong Glam to Sultan Hussein Muhammad Shah of Johor. Besides the Sultan and his 600 family members, Kampong Glam was home to many Muslim groups at the time, including the Bugis, Arabs, Javanese, and Baweanese people. During the same period, Indian Muslims began moving to Kampong Glam for business. By the early 20th century, they opened restaurants here, the two most important being Victory and Zam Zam on North Bridge Road.
Zam Zam opened in 1908 and Victory in 1910. Both specialize in stuffed flatbread (murtabak) and have been competing for over 100 years. We tried the mutton murtabak at Victory. It tasted more like the griddle cakes (laobing) from Northern China and was not as crispy as the ones we had in Penang.
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Summary: This first Singapore article introduces Indian Muslim culture through mosques, streets, migration history, food, and everyday community life. It keeps the original travel sequence and cultural facts while using simple English for global readers.
Since the British arrived in Singapore in 1819, Indian Muslims have continuously come to the island as laborers, merchants, and soldiers. After the 20th century, more Indian Muslims settled in Singapore. Most were Tamils from the Coromandel Coast in southeastern India, but there were also Gujaratis from western India, Malabaris from the southwest, and even Dawoodi Bohras and Ahmadis. Over time, the diverse and integrated Indian Muslim culture has become an important part of Singaporean culture. This time, I will take you to experience Singapore's Indian Muslim culture by visiting various Indian mosques, tasting Indian food, and touring the Indian Heritage Centre and the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre.
Indian mosques and shrines (gongbei) in Chinatown.
Al-Abrar Mosque is located on Telok Ayer Street in Singapore's Chinatown. It was built in 1827 by Tamil Muslims from the Coromandel Coast in southeastern India. They were also known as Chulias and mostly worked as merchants or money changers in Chinatown at the time, so this place is also called the Chulia Mosque.
Al-Abrar Mosque is one of Singapore's oldest mosques. It started as a thatched hut, was rebuilt as a brick building with Indian features between 1850 and 1855, and was renovated into its current appearance between 1986 and 1989. The mosque sits in a row of shophouses on Telok Ayer Street and blends seamlessly with the surrounding buildings. The main entrance has two octagonal minarets topped with star and crescent symbols. The interior features European neoclassical design elements, including Doric columns and French-style shutters. Today, the mosque continues to serve the Indian Muslim community. Muslims from other ethnic groups working nearby also come here for worship, especially during the Friday congregational prayer (Jumu'ah).
Jamae Mosque is located on South Bridge Road in Singapore's Chinatown. It was the main congregational mosque built by the Chulias in Chinatown, and like Al-Abrar Mosque, it is also known as a Chulia mosque.
Jamae Mosque was founded in 1826 and rebuilt into its current form between 1830 and 1835. The mosque's main gate has a distinct South Indian style. It features two seven-story towers on either side, each with a pair of niches on every level, and a central design modeled after a traditional Indian fortress gate. The design is very intricate. The main prayer hall features the neoclassical style typical of Singapore's colonial era, the same style used for the Old Parliament House built during the same period.
Today, Jamae Mosque remains a place of worship for Chulia Muslims and is one of the few mosques in Singapore that offers religious classes in the Tamil language. This was also my first time seeing the walls of a main prayer hall inscribed in three languages: Arabic, English, and Tamil.
The Nagore Dargha mosque (Nagore Dargha) is located on Telok Ayer Street, not far from the Al-Abrar Mosque. It was built by the Chulia people between 1828 and 1830 and serves as an important Sufi shrine (gongbei) for the Chulia community in Singapore.
The Nagore Dargha mosque was built to honor the famous 16th-century Indian Sufi saint, Syed Shahul Hamid. Shahul Hamid arrived in the town of Nagore in the Tamil Nadu state of southeastern India in 1533 to preach, and he passed away there in 1570. Legend says he performed many miracles in Nagore and even healed the king of the Vijayanagara Empire in India. To honor Shahul Hamid, locals built a shrine (gongbei) over his tomb. It later became an important Sufi center for Tamil Muslims, and many sailors and seafarers would visit the shrine to offer dua for a safe journey before heading out to sea.
After Tamil Muslims immigrated to Penang and Singapore in the 19th century, they built a shrine in each city to honor the saint, modeling the architecture after the original shrine in Nagore. The Singapore shrine uses an eclectic style, featuring a 14-tier square minaret with niches on the outside, and Doric-style pilasters, arches, and large French-style windows on the inside.
In 2011, the Nagore Dargha mosque became the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre, which provides a detailed introduction to the history and culture of Indian Muslims in Singapore.
A Quran (Guerani) copied around 1900, which uses a rare linen binding method.
An introduction to the Arwi script. Arwi is a script that uses Arabic letters to write the Tamil language, similar to the Xiao'erjing (xiaojing) used by Hui Muslims. The Arwi script includes 13 additional letters not found in the Arabic alphabet.
Items from an Indian Muslim wedding in Singapore during the 20th century.
Tamil language works by Singaporean Tamil Muslims.
Daily items used by Indian Muslims in Singapore.
Items brought by Muslim families who arrived in Singapore from Kadayanallur and Tenkasi in South India after World War I.
The India of Little India
Mosques, food, and the Indian Heritage Centre
Little India is the busiest and most crowded place I visited in Singapore. It feels bigger and more like India than the Little Indias in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Along the sides of the covered walkways (qilou) are various Indian restaurants, flower shops, and grocery stores, with many people of Indian descent busy shopping.
Unlike Chinatown or Kampong Glam, Little India was not designated for the Indian community by Sir Stamford Raffles. It was known as Serangoon until the 1980s. In the 1820s, the British built lime pits and brick kilns along Serangoon Road, and Indian laborers began working there. After the brick kilns closed in 1860, Serangoon developed a cattle industry, followed by the establishment of slaughterhouses, tanneries, and milk vendors. These industries attracted more Indians to settle here, along with others who worked nearby as port laborers and junior office clerks.
The British colonial authorities began building covered walkways (qilou) in Serangoon in the 1920s. More Indian immigrants arrived to open shops selling Indian saris, spices, and flowers, and the layout of Little India was officially formed. After Singapore was established in 1965, the government carried out urban renewal in Serangoon to improve living conditions for the local Indian residents. In the 1980s, to promote tourism, Singapore officially named the area Little India.
Abdul Gafoor Mosque is located at the southern end of Little India. It dates back to 1859, and in 1907, it was rebuilt into its current structure by Shaik Abdul Gafoor, a South Indian Tamil Muslim who worked as a chief clerk at a law firm. Abdul Gafoor raised funds by building shophouses near the mosque, some of which still stand today.
Abdul Gafoor Mosque blends Saracenic (Mughal Revival) style with Neoclassical style, featuring complex arch designs and a dome inspired by ancient Roman architecture. It is very interesting that you can see a basement inside the main prayer hall. It was only rediscovered in 1998, and after renovations, the hall can now accommodate 1,200 people.
The original congregation of Abdul Gafoor Mosque mainly consisted of Tamils from South India and Baweanese people from Bawean Island in East Java. At that time, many Tamils worked nearby as merchants and port laborers, while many Baweanese worked as horse trainers and grooms at the adjacent racecourse. The mosque installed electric lighting in 1928, making it the first mosque in Singapore to have electric lights.
Today, Abdul Gafoor Mosque continues to serve the South Indian Tamil Muslim community in Singapore and offers religious classes in the Tamil language. This is also one of the few Hanafi mosques in Singapore, where the way of performing worship is the same as that of Hui Muslims, unlike the Shafi'i school followed by the Malay people. The prayer time here is one hour later than in other Shafi'i mosques. At other times, you can see some Muslims who follow the Shafi'i school forming their own separate prayer group at the back of the main hall, which is a very unique scene in Singapore.
At the Indian restaurant by the mosque entrance, everyone drinks lamb bone broth (yangtang) after namaz. It is very comfortable to have a bowl on a rainy day.
Opposite Abdul Gafoor Mosque, at the northern end of Little India, is Angullia Mosque, which was established by Gujarati Muslims from western India. The Angullia family came to Singapore from Gujarat state in the 19th century to do business. In the late 19th century, Mohammed Salleh Eussoofjee Angullia accumulated great wealth through the trade of spices, sugar, timber, and tableware, becoming a prominent figure in Singapore's Indian Muslim community. In 1890, the Angullia family donated the land, and Angullia Mosque was built in 1892. The Angullia family has managed the mosque ever since.
Angullia Mosque was rebuilt in 1970 and expanded again in 2020 to its current appearance. Only the gatehouse built in 1890 has been preserved to this day. Angullia Mosque is the mosque where I have seen the largest number of people praying in Singapore. As the time approached, a queue formed outside the ablution area. People filled the entire main hall, and those who arrived late had to wait outside because they could not get in. After namaz, the imam immediately told everyone to leave in an orderly manner, and the people waiting outside would form a new prayer group after everyone left.
There are water-saving signs in the ablution area, and similar hadith are posted in several places. I think they are quite meaningful.
If you want to experience Indian halal food in Singapore's Little India, the most convenient place is Tekka Centre (zhujiao basha). It has a row of stalls all run by Indian Muslims, and the prices are very cheap. We first drank a bowl of lamb trotter curry soup, which was hot and perfect for a rainy day. Then we ate freshly made almond flatbread (badam naan) with minced lamb curry. Many people eat it this way, tearing off the flatbread to dip into the curry and eating it bit by bit, finally wiping up every last drop of the sauce.
Tekka Centre was first built in 1915. In the 1930s, it became popular for its wide variety of fresh meat, vegetables, and seafood, and was known to the public as the 'People's Market'. The current building was finished in 1981, and most of the stall owners inside have been running their businesses for two or three generations.
I had a cup of pulled tea (teh tarik) at the Tekka Centre, then looked around at the Indian clothing on the second floor. The saris are all very sparkly, and there are tailor shops where you can buy fabric and have clothes made on the spot.
If you want to learn more about the history and culture of Singapore's Indian community, I highly recommend visiting the Indian Heritage Centre in Little India. The main exhibition hall is organized by timeline and covers five parts: early contact, origins and migration, early Indian communities in Singapore and Malaya, the social and political awakening of Indians in Singapore and Malaya, and the contributions of Indians to Singapore. Of course, this includes the culture of Singapore's Indian Muslims.
A map showing the migration of Tamils from the Coromandel Coast in southeastern India and Sri Lanka to Singapore and Malaya.
Several areas where Indian communities lived in Singapore during the 19th and 20th centuries.
A group portrait of Singaporean Indians with the Angullia Mosque in Little India in the background.
The luggage that Indian immigrants brought with them when they first arrived in Singapore, along with a passport and family photo belonging to a Muslim merchant who came to Singapore from Gujarat, India, in 1936.
A set of clay figurines of 19th-century Indian merchants.
Clothing worn by Tamil Muslims from the Coromandel Coast of southeastern India in the mid-18th century.
Velvet Arabic calligraphy embroidery from Andhra Pradesh, India, dating to the 20th century.
Indian book stands (rehal) from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Calligraphy from the Deccan region of India, dated 1600.
Various traditional Indian hats from the 20th century.
The Talapa of the Chetti people in Malacca, which is a type of batik headwrap.
The Khoja Turban worn by the Ismaili Shia Khoja people from Gujarat, India. Khoja comes from the Persian words 'Khwaja' or 'Hodja'. They began converting from Hinduism to Islam in the 13th century, and while they hold a Muslim identity, they have kept strong Indian caste customs.
Headwear worn by grooms and boys during circumcision in the mid-20th century.
A 19th-century portrait of Indian Muslims.
A 19th-century procession of Shia Muslims in India during Ashura. On the right is a model of the tombs of Imam Hussein and Hassan called Ta'ziya, and you can also see Alam flags.
An Alam flagpole carried by Shia Muslims in South India during an Ashura procession in the 19th century.
The tiled facade of a mosque in Multan, Pakistan, from 1897-1898, made using the traditional local Kashikari tile-firing technique. This type of tile decoration originated in the Mughal Empire and was influenced by Persian and Sufi cultures.
Indians in Kampong Glam.
Mosques and restaurants.
Kampong Glam is the first planned Muslim community in Singapore. In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles gave Kampong Glam to Sultan Hussein Muhammad Shah of Johor. Besides the Sultan and his 600 family members, Kampong Glam was home to many Muslim groups at the time, including the Bugis, Arabs, Javanese, and Baweanese people. During the same period, Indian Muslims began moving to Kampong Glam for business. By the early 20th century, they opened restaurants here, the two most important being Victory and Zam Zam on North Bridge Road.
Zam Zam opened in 1908 and Victory in 1910. Both specialize in stuffed flatbread (murtabak) and have been competing for over 100 years. We tried the mutton murtabak at Victory. It tasted more like the griddle cakes (laobing) from Northern China and was not as crispy as the ones we had in Penang.
Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Singapore - Indian Muslim Culture, Mosques and Food (Part 2)
Reposted from the web
Summary: This second Singapore article continues the walk through Indian Muslim culture, mosque spaces, food streets, and neighborhood history. It preserves the original names, food details, religious terms, and route notes in natural English.
Kampong Glam is also a great place to try ginger tea (teh sarabat), also known as teh halia. Bhai Sarbat on Baghdad Street was started by an Indian Muslim in the 1950s and has been around for 70 years. Bhai means brother in Urdu. Bhai Sarbat started as a street pushcart. It moved into this shophouse on Baghdad Street in the 1970s. Today, they sell hundreds of drinks, but their ginger tea is still the most famous.
In the evening, we went to the most famous Indian halal restaurant in Kampong Glam, Islamic Restaurant. It opened in 1921 and has been in business for over a hundred years. The founder, Abdul Rahiman, was a Tamil Muslim from Tamil Nadu in southern India. After arriving in Singapore, his excellent cooking skills made him the head chef for the Alsagoff family, a wealthy family of Yemeni descent. Abdul Rahiman was best known for his biryani rice, which even the British governors loved.
In 1921, Abdul Rahiman opened Islamic Restaurant on North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam. Singaporean politicians who had tasted his cooking at the Alsagoff family banquets came to visit, as did royalty like the Sultans of Brunei, Johor, and Perak. Today, M. Abdul Rahiman's secret spice recipe for biryani rice is carried on by his grandson, Kalil. After a hundred years, their biryani is still delicious. Besides the biryani, we ordered almond naan, chicken tikka masala, and fenugreek (methi) fish curry. Everything was fantastic. This is a truly great Indian restaurant, not just a tourist trap near a scenic spot.
Malabar Mosque, also known as the Golden Dome Mosque, is located across from Kampong Glam in Singapore. It is the only mosque in Singapore built by Malabar Muslims from southwestern India. Malabar Muslims live in Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands in the far southwest of the Indian peninsula. They are an ancient indigenous Muslim community in South Asia and, like the Malays, follow the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence.
In the early 19th century, Malabar Muslims traveled along the Indian Ocean to Singapore to trade textiles and jewelry. After the 20th century, they ran several food businesses in eastern Singapore and Kampong Glam. When they passed away, they were buried in the Muslim cemetery across from Kampong Glam. In 1929, the Malabar Muslims took over the mosque in the Muslim cemetery. It was rebuilt in 1953 and officially opened in 1963. Malabar Mosque was renovated into its current appearance in 1995, with blue and white tiles covering the exterior walls.
Currently, the Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore's Little India has a dedicated exhibition hall about Malabar immigrants if you are interested in learning more. The exhibit features a green shawl used for prayer in the 20th century by Abdullah bin Muhammad, on loan from the Malabar Mosque. It also includes old photos of the Malabar Mosque during its reconstruction and a set of traditional Malabar Muslim women's clothing on loan from Muhammad Shafiq, which includes a Kuppayam shirt, a Kachimundu waist cloth, and a Thattam headscarf.
Indian mosques in the Geylang area.
Hajjah Fatimah Mosque is located on Geylang Road in Singapore. It was built in 1920 after Hajjah Fatimah, an Indian-Muslim businesswoman and philanthropist, donated 50,000 dollars for its construction in 1915. The building blends Indian and Neoclassical styles. Because of the diverse ethnic groups in the Geylang area, Hajjah Fatimah Mosque has always been managed by Arab, Indian, and Malay Muslims together. In 1935, Al-Mu'allim Omar Bin Abdullah Bagharib arrived in Singapore from Yemen. He taught at Hajjah Fatimah Mosque for 33 years, and his descendants still live near the mosque today.
Dawoodi Bohra Shia mosque.
Al-Burhani Mosque is located on Hill Street, a main road in Singapore. It is the only Dawoodi Bohra Shia mosque in Singapore, and it is the second Dawoodi Bohra Shia mosque I have visited, following the one in Bangkok.
The Dawoodi Bohras originated from the Ismaili Shia Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled North Africa from the 10th to the 12th century. In 1067, the Imam of the Fatimid Caliphate sent a man named Abdullah from Yemen to Gujarat, India, to spread the faith, where he was very successful. Since then, the followers in Gujarat have kept in touch with Yemen and continued to grow. In 1589, the community leader Dawood Bin Qutubshah took office. He split from Yemen, and the group has been known as the Dawoodis ever since.
Starting in the 19th century, Dawoodi Bohra members from Gujarat, India, began traveling across the Indian Ocean to do business. They started trading dry goods and spices in Singapore in 1875. After the 1920s, more Dawoodi Bohra merchants came to Singapore from Gujarat to do business, and the Dawoodi Bohra community in Singapore was officially formed.
Al-Burhani Mosque was first built in 1895 and was originally small. The high-rise building you see today is how it looked after being rebuilt in 1997. It is a pity that there was no one inside the mosque when we visited, so we could not talk to anyone.
Ahmadiyya mosque
Taha Mosque is in Geylang, Singapore, and it is the only Ahmadiyya mosque in the country. Ahmadiyya is a movement that started in northern India in the late 19th century. Its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), claimed to be the Mahdi (savior) and officially established the community in Punjab, India, in 1889. The number of Ahmadiyya followers grew from the end of the 19th century, and the movement began spreading overseas after the 20th century.
In 1935, the second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya movement sent Ghulam Hussain Ayyaz to Singapore to preach, which officially established the Ahmadiyya community there. In 1985, the Singapore Ahmadiyya community officially built Taha Mosque, and the fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya movement attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
I chatted with a young man at Taha Mosque for a while, and this was my first time meeting followers of the Ahmadiyya movement.
Further reading: Indian Tamil Muslims in Penang, Malaysia Collapse Read »
Summary: This second Singapore article continues the walk through Indian Muslim culture, mosque spaces, food streets, and neighborhood history. It preserves the original names, food details, religious terms, and route notes in natural English.
Kampong Glam is also a great place to try ginger tea (teh sarabat), also known as teh halia. Bhai Sarbat on Baghdad Street was started by an Indian Muslim in the 1950s and has been around for 70 years. Bhai means brother in Urdu. Bhai Sarbat started as a street pushcart. It moved into this shophouse on Baghdad Street in the 1970s. Today, they sell hundreds of drinks, but their ginger tea is still the most famous.
In the evening, we went to the most famous Indian halal restaurant in Kampong Glam, Islamic Restaurant. It opened in 1921 and has been in business for over a hundred years. The founder, Abdul Rahiman, was a Tamil Muslim from Tamil Nadu in southern India. After arriving in Singapore, his excellent cooking skills made him the head chef for the Alsagoff family, a wealthy family of Yemeni descent. Abdul Rahiman was best known for his biryani rice, which even the British governors loved.
In 1921, Abdul Rahiman opened Islamic Restaurant on North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam. Singaporean politicians who had tasted his cooking at the Alsagoff family banquets came to visit, as did royalty like the Sultans of Brunei, Johor, and Perak. Today, M. Abdul Rahiman's secret spice recipe for biryani rice is carried on by his grandson, Kalil. After a hundred years, their biryani is still delicious. Besides the biryani, we ordered almond naan, chicken tikka masala, and fenugreek (methi) fish curry. Everything was fantastic. This is a truly great Indian restaurant, not just a tourist trap near a scenic spot.
Malabar Mosque, also known as the Golden Dome Mosque, is located across from Kampong Glam in Singapore. It is the only mosque in Singapore built by Malabar Muslims from southwestern India. Malabar Muslims live in Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands in the far southwest of the Indian peninsula. They are an ancient indigenous Muslim community in South Asia and, like the Malays, follow the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence.
In the early 19th century, Malabar Muslims traveled along the Indian Ocean to Singapore to trade textiles and jewelry. After the 20th century, they ran several food businesses in eastern Singapore and Kampong Glam. When they passed away, they were buried in the Muslim cemetery across from Kampong Glam. In 1929, the Malabar Muslims took over the mosque in the Muslim cemetery. It was rebuilt in 1953 and officially opened in 1963. Malabar Mosque was renovated into its current appearance in 1995, with blue and white tiles covering the exterior walls.
Currently, the Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore's Little India has a dedicated exhibition hall about Malabar immigrants if you are interested in learning more. The exhibit features a green shawl used for prayer in the 20th century by Abdullah bin Muhammad, on loan from the Malabar Mosque. It also includes old photos of the Malabar Mosque during its reconstruction and a set of traditional Malabar Muslim women's clothing on loan from Muhammad Shafiq, which includes a Kuppayam shirt, a Kachimundu waist cloth, and a Thattam headscarf.
Indian mosques in the Geylang area.
Hajjah Fatimah Mosque is located on Geylang Road in Singapore. It was built in 1920 after Hajjah Fatimah, an Indian-Muslim businesswoman and philanthropist, donated 50,000 dollars for its construction in 1915. The building blends Indian and Neoclassical styles. Because of the diverse ethnic groups in the Geylang area, Hajjah Fatimah Mosque has always been managed by Arab, Indian, and Malay Muslims together. In 1935, Al-Mu'allim Omar Bin Abdullah Bagharib arrived in Singapore from Yemen. He taught at Hajjah Fatimah Mosque for 33 years, and his descendants still live near the mosque today.
Dawoodi Bohra Shia mosque.
Al-Burhani Mosque is located on Hill Street, a main road in Singapore. It is the only Dawoodi Bohra Shia mosque in Singapore, and it is the second Dawoodi Bohra Shia mosque I have visited, following the one in Bangkok.
The Dawoodi Bohras originated from the Ismaili Shia Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled North Africa from the 10th to the 12th century. In 1067, the Imam of the Fatimid Caliphate sent a man named Abdullah from Yemen to Gujarat, India, to spread the faith, where he was very successful. Since then, the followers in Gujarat have kept in touch with Yemen and continued to grow. In 1589, the community leader Dawood Bin Qutubshah took office. He split from Yemen, and the group has been known as the Dawoodis ever since.
Starting in the 19th century, Dawoodi Bohra members from Gujarat, India, began traveling across the Indian Ocean to do business. They started trading dry goods and spices in Singapore in 1875. After the 1920s, more Dawoodi Bohra merchants came to Singapore from Gujarat to do business, and the Dawoodi Bohra community in Singapore was officially formed.
Al-Burhani Mosque was first built in 1895 and was originally small. The high-rise building you see today is how it looked after being rebuilt in 1997. It is a pity that there was no one inside the mosque when we visited, so we could not talk to anyone.
Ahmadiyya mosque
Taha Mosque is in Geylang, Singapore, and it is the only Ahmadiyya mosque in the country. Ahmadiyya is a movement that started in northern India in the late 19th century. Its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), claimed to be the Mahdi (savior) and officially established the community in Punjab, India, in 1889. The number of Ahmadiyya followers grew from the end of the 19th century, and the movement began spreading overseas after the 20th century.
In 1935, the second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya movement sent Ghulam Hussain Ayyaz to Singapore to preach, which officially established the Ahmadiyya community there. In 1985, the Singapore Ahmadiyya community officially built Taha Mosque, and the fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya movement attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
I chatted with a young man at Taha Mosque for a while, and this was my first time meeting followers of the Ahmadiyya movement.
Further reading: Indian Tamil Muslims in Penang, Malaysia Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Singapore - Asian Civilisations Museum and Islamic Art
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Singapore article visits the Asian Civilisations Museum and looks closely at Islamic art, trade history, ceramics, textiles, and cultural objects. It keeps the original museum observations, object names, and historical details for English readers.
The Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore sits by the Singapore River in a neoclassical building from 1867. It first focused on crafts from Malay and Southeast Asian indigenous peoples. After the 1990s, it expanded its collection to include West and South Asia, becoming a museum that shows the meeting of different Asian cultures and civilizations.
Two miniature paintings from the late 16th-century Shiraz school in Iran depict the famous Persian poet Nizami's masterpiece, the Five Poems (Khamsa).
A late 16th-century Ottoman miniature illustration comes from the Garden of the Blessed (Hadigat us-Su'ada), written around 1547. This illustration shows the hardships faced by the Prophet and his family. He is giving a sermon (khutbah) from a pulpit, with Imam Ali, Husayn, Hasan, and other family members below. To show respect, golden flames burn behind the Prophet, Ali, Husayn, and Hasan, and the faces of the Prophet and Ali are covered.
This 18th-19th century silk embroidery from Jaipur, India, was usually used for tapestries or curtains in tents or noble homes. The floral patterns in the center are classic Mughal dynasty designs, widely used in Rajasthan, where Jaipur is located.
This 14th-century copper bowl with gold and silver inlay is from Fars, Iran. Fars was the center of Iran's metalworking industry in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the bowl depicts the image of the Sultan at that time.
The Batu Hitam shipwreck gallery at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. 1,100 years ago, an Arab cargo ship loaded with precious goods left Guangzhou port to return to the Abbasid Caliphate. It eventually sank near the coast of Sumatra, 600 kilometers southeast of Singapore. It was not discovered until 1998 and is called the Batu Hitam (Black Rock) shipwreck because of the location where it was found. The shipwreck yielded a large number of ceramic bowls, which are the same shape as those found from the Abbasid Caliphate of the same period.
A 13th-century calligraphy fritware tile from Kashan, Iran.
A fritware jug from the late 12th-century Seljuk dynasty in Iran. Fritware is a ceramic technique invented by Middle Eastern craftsmen in the 11th century to imitate Chinese porcelain. It developed from early Egyptian faience and is made of a mixture of clay, quartz, and glaze.
A marble tombstone from early 9th-century Syria.
A late 14th-century Kufic script tile from the Timurid dynasty, likely from the tomb of a Timurid noble.
An 11th-century mihrab tile from northeastern Iran. The lamp in the center represents light (nur), symbolizing the presence of Allah.
This 11th-century tombstone tile from Afghanistan was likely embedded in the wall of a tomb.
This 14th-century sandstone calligraphy carving from western India features a three-part script style that is stretched vertically.
Renowned Arabic calligrapher Chen Jinhui created this piece in 1996, blending in techniques from Chinese ink wash painting.
This is a Persian paper-cut from Iran, dated 1891. This art form was widely used for binding Iranian manuscripts from the 15th to 17th centuries and continued until the end of the 19th century.
This 18th-century Ottoman Turkish book stand (rehal) is inlaid with tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl.
This 19th-century Iranian book stand (rehal) is carved with beautiful floral and geometric patterns.
This 8th-to-9th-century parchment manuscript from Syria or North Africa is an early form of Kufic script. These parchment Kufic manuscripts are among the earliest Quran copies visible today.
These two religious texts, written in China and Java, show how non-native Arabic speakers wrote the language, including notes in their own native tongues.
This is an 1876 Ottoman Turkish pen case with an inkwell.
This is a pottery jug from Kashan, Iran, dating to the late 12th century.
This is a 10th-century pottery bowl from Nishapur, Iran, featuring Kufic calligraphy.
This 1887-88 sandstone screen (jali) from India was used to block the hot sun and is inscribed with praises to Allah.
This 17th-century Iranian copy of the anatomy book Tashrih-i Mansuri was originally written in the 14th century. It studies different body systems, including bones, nerves, muscles, and arteries. The final chapter explains how human organs and fetuses form, and it includes anatomical drawings of a pregnant woman.
This is a Persian version of the famous ancient Roman pharmacology book De materia medica, copied in the Deccan region of India in 1595. De materia medica was written in Greek in the 1st century AD, translated into Arabic in the 9th century, and later translated into Persian, laying an important foundation for botany and pharmacology in West Asia.
A dua shirt (dua shirt) from the Mughal Empire in India, dating from the 16th to the early 17th century. This garment is covered in scripture and the 99 names of Allah. Warriors wore it under their armor, and sick people wore it for health and safety.
A 19th-century Indian dua hat (dua hat) inscribed with scripture.
A jewelry box from Gujarat, India, made between the late 16th and 17th centuries. Muslim artisans in Gujarat crafted these fine boxes for the entire Islamic world, decorating them with finely cut mother-of-pearl.
A 1230 tile from Kashan, Iran. These octagonal tiles, paired with cross-shaped tiles, covered the walls of Iranian palaces and important tombs. They often feature Persian poetry and Quranic verses.
A 15th-century tile from Multan, Pakistan. Influenced by the Timurid Empire of Central Asia, it features a striking blue and green twelve-pointed star design.
Exquisite Chinese export porcelain, reflecting the economic and cultural exchange between China and the Islamic world at that time.
A Chinese porcelain plate from the early 17th century featuring a magic square, with black cursive scripture alternating with red scroll patterns. Magic squares were believed to help prevent disease.
An early 17th-century export porcelain plate from the Zhangzhou kiln in Fujian. It shows two peacocks under a blooming flower, surrounded by the Shahada.
A 17th-century Qing dynasty export porcelain piece, fitted with a silver rim and spout, featuring the name of Allah.
A porcelain plate from the Zhangzhou kiln in Fujian, commissioned by the Sultan of Aceh in the 17th century. The inner circle contains scripture, while the eight outer circles feature seals designed by the Sultan in imitation of the Mughal Empire. The Sultanate of Aceh (1496-1903) was located in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and was once a major center for Islamic scholarship and trade. These plates were likely ordered during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-1636). Under his rule, the Sultanate of Aceh reached its peak, becoming the most powerful and wealthy state in western Indonesia and the Strait of Malacca.
An export porcelain plate commissioned by Shia Muslims in Iran or India in 1844-45, featuring Persian poetry related to the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. The teardrop-shaped pattern used here is called a boteh design in Persian.
This Canton enamel porcelain bowl was ordered by the Qajar dynasty royal family in Iran between 1883 and 1884. It mentions Prince Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan, the eldest son of the Qajar King Naser al-Din Shah (who reigned from 1848 to 1896), who served as the governor of Isfahan for over 35 years. The Qajar royal family loved Canton enamel porcelain and often ordered full sets of tableware to use at banquets.
A set of traditional Qing dynasty enamel incense tools used by Hui Muslims: an incense burner, an incense box, and a vase for incense tools. In the past, Hui Muslims usually kept these in a high place at home and only used them during religious gatherings (nieti) and the Eid festivals. Later, as stick incense became popular, the three-piece incense set was gradually replaced by a single incense burner.
The spread and evolution of blue and white porcelain in the Middle East.
The first is a blue and white porcelain plate from Jingdezhen in the 15th century. This type of floral blue and white porcelain plate was exported in large quantities to Middle Eastern countries during the Ming dynasty, and one is kept in the tomb of the famous Sufi Sheikh Safi al-Din in Iran.
The second is blue and white porcelain produced by the Ottoman Empire in the mid-15th century, representing an early Middle Eastern attempt to learn from Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain. The floral patterns are clearly influenced by China, but the cypress tree pattern is a Turkish specialty.
The third is porcelain produced around 1600 in Iznik, Turkey, under Ottoman rule. By this period, Iznik was able to produce high-quality blue and white porcelain, and the floral patterns continued to be influenced by China.
A 19th-century teak wood scripture box from northern Java. This intricately carved scripture box was generally only used in mosques and madrasas, and it features traditional Javanese-style patterns.
A Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain brush rest with the mark 'Made in the Zhengde reign of the Great Ming'. The front is written in Arabic as 'khamah' (pen), and the back is written in Arabic as 'dan' (rest).
The Islamic culture of Southeast Asia.
A collection of blessings for the Prophet (Dala'il al-Khayrat) copied in Terengganu on the Malay Peninsula in the 19th century. Malay people usually carried this book with them when they went on Hajj, so it includes diagrams of the Prophet's Mosque and the Sacred Mosque, marking the locations of the Prophet's tomb and the Kaaba. The two illustrations of the Kaaba use the ornate Terengganu decorative style and feature a lot of gold leaf.
A wooden carving of Buraq from Lanao del Sur province on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines, dating to the early 20th century; this is the mount the Prophet Muhammad rode during his Night Journey. Muslims in Mindanao display the Buraq during important feasts and holidays. Although the Hadith does not describe the face of the Buraq, it mentions it has a handsome face, so it has historically been depicted with a human face; this Buraq's headpiece and tail incorporate traditional Okir patterns from the southern Philippines.
A wooden tombstone from the southeast of Kalimantan island dated 1894; the intricately carved tombstone is a symbol of noble status and wealth, featuring both Malay and Arabic.
A prayer time chart from the mid-20th century at the Wak Sumang mosque in Punggol, Singapore, which was used until the mosque was demolished in 1995.
A book of divination (Primbon) from Semarang, Java, copied in 1824 in Jawi script (Arabic script used to write Malay). The book uses a combination of numerology and Quranic verses to provide guidance on decisions or auspicious dates and times for events ranging from moving house to getting married.
A magic square belt buckle from the late 19th to early 20th century in Kuala Kangsar, the royal city of the Sultan of Perak on the Malay Peninsula; it is inscribed with the Shahada and was part of traditional Malay attire.
Arabic calligraphy on wax-resist dyed cloth (Batik) from the Jambi region of Sumatra in the 20th century. This overall design, with four satellite patterns surrounding a central motif, originated from the Buddhist mandala and was later used by Muslims in Sumatra as a burial shroud for coffins.
A mulberry paper manuscript from Pattani, Malay Peninsula, dated 1835. This black folding manuscript is written with white talc; it was very popular in Buddhist regions of Myanmar and was later adopted by Muslims in places like Myanmar and Malaysia. The manuscript includes advice for young people, and the Song of Fatimah (Syair Dendang Fatimah) is often chanted during ceremonies for newborns.
On the left is a 19th-century Indonesian haji cap, and on the right is a Bugis songkok cap (Songkok Recca) from southern Sulawesi dating to the 19th or 20th century. White symbolizes purity and the plain white ihram garments worn during the Hajj pilgrimage; in Indonesia, it is typically worn by a haji who has returned from the pilgrimage. The black songkok cap comes from the Ottoman fez, and the Bugis people of southern Sulawesi usually wear this cap for Friday namaz. A wider gold band indicates a closer relationship with the king.
This early 20th-century batik sarong from Java depicts a Hajj pilgrimage group. The flag reads 'Bendera Radja Mekkah' (Flag of the King of Mecca), which was used during the 1916 Meccan revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The revolt was supported by the Hadharem people of Yemen. Many Arabs in Southeast Asia belong to Hadharem families, and some ran batik workshops on the north coast of Java while organizing Hajj trips for Javanese Muslims. This sarong was likely made in that context.
A scroll from the 1830s or 1840s showing a Shia Ashura procession in southern India, likely Chennai. The entire scroll is nearly 6 meters long. It shows a model of the tombs of Imam Hussein and Hassan (Ta'ziya), the mount of the Prophet during his night journey (Buraq), an Alam flag, the Hand of Abbas, a shield (Sipar), and a reenactment of the Battle of Karbala. You can also see the Chennai native infantry, people dressed as animals, and even elements of the Hindu Charak festival, which reflects India's multiculturalism.
An early 18th-century copper-gilt Alam flag pole from the Safavid dynasty in Iran, engraved with Quranic verses. The Alam flag pole is used by Shia Muslims during Ashura processions and consists of three parts. At the bottom, a cube rises on a copper axis engraved with a call to the Prophet. In the middle is a pear-shaped flat surface with a dragon head, featuring an enamel ball with colorful floral patterns. The top symbolizes the sword of Ali.
A 'Hand of Abbas' from the late 19th or early 20th century. Abbas was the son of Imam Ali. He served as the standard-bearer for his brother Imam Hussein's troops during the 680 AD Battle of Karbala against the Umayyad Caliphate. On the eve of Ashura, Abbas went to the Euphrates River to get water, but he was blocked by the enemy on his way back, his hands were cut off, and he was eventually killed. Since then, the 'Hand of Abbas' has been seen by Shia Muslims as a symbol of courage, sincerity, and self-sacrifice.
Two tombstones from the mid-15th-century Malacca Sultanate. Besides scripture, one of them is inscribed for a captain from Gujarat in western India who passed away in 1459. Muslim merchants from Gujarat played a key role in the trade of the Malacca Sultanate, where one of the four harbor masters was specifically in charge of trade with Gujarati merchants. These two tombstones were found by British engineers in the walls of the Portuguese fortress in Malacca and were among the first items collected by the Raffles Museum in Singapore, now known as the National Museum.
A gilded door panel from the early 20th century from Jepara or Kudus in Central Java. This traditional door panel is called Gebyog in Javanese and was used in traditional Javanese houses to separate the living room from the bedroom. Besides scripture, it features beautiful floral patterns. Lotus patterns were often used during the Hindu-Buddhist period, but these shifted to jasmine patterns after the arrival of Islam.
A 20th-century velvet tapestry embroidered with gold thread from Sumatra. This traditional tapestry is called Tekat. It was once used for royal clothing and buildings, but now it is mostly used at weddings or at the entrances of mosques and gongbei.
Three Southeast Asian scripture manuscripts in different styles.
A 19th-century scripture manuscript from the Terengganu region on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. Because it uses a large amount of gold, it is believed to have been commissioned by the Sultan's court in Terengganu. This type of manuscript from the Terengganu region is dense and delicate, featuring red and gold as the main colors, followed by black and green.
A 19th-century scripture manuscript from the Aceh region of Sumatra. Like those from the Terengganu region, the Aceh manuscripts also primarily use red, gold, and black. The most unique features of the Aceh manuscripts are their triangular edges and wing-shaped patterns.
A scripture manuscript from Central Java dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. Compared to the Aceh style from Sumatra and the Terengganu style from the Malay Peninsula, Javanese-style manuscripts feature more colors and patterns. Blue is more common in Javanese manuscripts, and the swastika (wan) pattern is also unique to them.
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Summary: This Singapore article visits the Asian Civilisations Museum and looks closely at Islamic art, trade history, ceramics, textiles, and cultural objects. It keeps the original museum observations, object names, and historical details for English readers.
The Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore sits by the Singapore River in a neoclassical building from 1867. It first focused on crafts from Malay and Southeast Asian indigenous peoples. After the 1990s, it expanded its collection to include West and South Asia, becoming a museum that shows the meeting of different Asian cultures and civilizations.
Two miniature paintings from the late 16th-century Shiraz school in Iran depict the famous Persian poet Nizami's masterpiece, the Five Poems (Khamsa).
A late 16th-century Ottoman miniature illustration comes from the Garden of the Blessed (Hadigat us-Su'ada), written around 1547. This illustration shows the hardships faced by the Prophet and his family. He is giving a sermon (khutbah) from a pulpit, with Imam Ali, Husayn, Hasan, and other family members below. To show respect, golden flames burn behind the Prophet, Ali, Husayn, and Hasan, and the faces of the Prophet and Ali are covered.
This 18th-19th century silk embroidery from Jaipur, India, was usually used for tapestries or curtains in tents or noble homes. The floral patterns in the center are classic Mughal dynasty designs, widely used in Rajasthan, where Jaipur is located.
This 14th-century copper bowl with gold and silver inlay is from Fars, Iran. Fars was the center of Iran's metalworking industry in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the bowl depicts the image of the Sultan at that time.
The Batu Hitam shipwreck gallery at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. 1,100 years ago, an Arab cargo ship loaded with precious goods left Guangzhou port to return to the Abbasid Caliphate. It eventually sank near the coast of Sumatra, 600 kilometers southeast of Singapore. It was not discovered until 1998 and is called the Batu Hitam (Black Rock) shipwreck because of the location where it was found. The shipwreck yielded a large number of ceramic bowls, which are the same shape as those found from the Abbasid Caliphate of the same period.
A 13th-century calligraphy fritware tile from Kashan, Iran.
A fritware jug from the late 12th-century Seljuk dynasty in Iran. Fritware is a ceramic technique invented by Middle Eastern craftsmen in the 11th century to imitate Chinese porcelain. It developed from early Egyptian faience and is made of a mixture of clay, quartz, and glaze.
A marble tombstone from early 9th-century Syria.
A late 14th-century Kufic script tile from the Timurid dynasty, likely from the tomb of a Timurid noble.
An 11th-century mihrab tile from northeastern Iran. The lamp in the center represents light (nur), symbolizing the presence of Allah.
This 11th-century tombstone tile from Afghanistan was likely embedded in the wall of a tomb.
This 14th-century sandstone calligraphy carving from western India features a three-part script style that is stretched vertically.
Renowned Arabic calligrapher Chen Jinhui created this piece in 1996, blending in techniques from Chinese ink wash painting.
This is a Persian paper-cut from Iran, dated 1891. This art form was widely used for binding Iranian manuscripts from the 15th to 17th centuries and continued until the end of the 19th century.
This 18th-century Ottoman Turkish book stand (rehal) is inlaid with tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl.
This 19th-century Iranian book stand (rehal) is carved with beautiful floral and geometric patterns.
This 8th-to-9th-century parchment manuscript from Syria or North Africa is an early form of Kufic script. These parchment Kufic manuscripts are among the earliest Quran copies visible today.
These two religious texts, written in China and Java, show how non-native Arabic speakers wrote the language, including notes in their own native tongues.
This is an 1876 Ottoman Turkish pen case with an inkwell.
This is a pottery jug from Kashan, Iran, dating to the late 12th century.
This is a 10th-century pottery bowl from Nishapur, Iran, featuring Kufic calligraphy.
This 1887-88 sandstone screen (jali) from India was used to block the hot sun and is inscribed with praises to Allah.
This 17th-century Iranian copy of the anatomy book Tashrih-i Mansuri was originally written in the 14th century. It studies different body systems, including bones, nerves, muscles, and arteries. The final chapter explains how human organs and fetuses form, and it includes anatomical drawings of a pregnant woman.
This is a Persian version of the famous ancient Roman pharmacology book De materia medica, copied in the Deccan region of India in 1595. De materia medica was written in Greek in the 1st century AD, translated into Arabic in the 9th century, and later translated into Persian, laying an important foundation for botany and pharmacology in West Asia.
A dua shirt (dua shirt) from the Mughal Empire in India, dating from the 16th to the early 17th century. This garment is covered in scripture and the 99 names of Allah. Warriors wore it under their armor, and sick people wore it for health and safety.
A 19th-century Indian dua hat (dua hat) inscribed with scripture.
A jewelry box from Gujarat, India, made between the late 16th and 17th centuries. Muslim artisans in Gujarat crafted these fine boxes for the entire Islamic world, decorating them with finely cut mother-of-pearl.
A 1230 tile from Kashan, Iran. These octagonal tiles, paired with cross-shaped tiles, covered the walls of Iranian palaces and important tombs. They often feature Persian poetry and Quranic verses.
A 15th-century tile from Multan, Pakistan. Influenced by the Timurid Empire of Central Asia, it features a striking blue and green twelve-pointed star design.
Exquisite Chinese export porcelain, reflecting the economic and cultural exchange between China and the Islamic world at that time.
A Chinese porcelain plate from the early 17th century featuring a magic square, with black cursive scripture alternating with red scroll patterns. Magic squares were believed to help prevent disease.
An early 17th-century export porcelain plate from the Zhangzhou kiln in Fujian. It shows two peacocks under a blooming flower, surrounded by the Shahada.
A 17th-century Qing dynasty export porcelain piece, fitted with a silver rim and spout, featuring the name of Allah.
A porcelain plate from the Zhangzhou kiln in Fujian, commissioned by the Sultan of Aceh in the 17th century. The inner circle contains scripture, while the eight outer circles feature seals designed by the Sultan in imitation of the Mughal Empire. The Sultanate of Aceh (1496-1903) was located in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and was once a major center for Islamic scholarship and trade. These plates were likely ordered during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-1636). Under his rule, the Sultanate of Aceh reached its peak, becoming the most powerful and wealthy state in western Indonesia and the Strait of Malacca.
An export porcelain plate commissioned by Shia Muslims in Iran or India in 1844-45, featuring Persian poetry related to the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. The teardrop-shaped pattern used here is called a boteh design in Persian.
This Canton enamel porcelain bowl was ordered by the Qajar dynasty royal family in Iran between 1883 and 1884. It mentions Prince Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan, the eldest son of the Qajar King Naser al-Din Shah (who reigned from 1848 to 1896), who served as the governor of Isfahan for over 35 years. The Qajar royal family loved Canton enamel porcelain and often ordered full sets of tableware to use at banquets.
A set of traditional Qing dynasty enamel incense tools used by Hui Muslims: an incense burner, an incense box, and a vase for incense tools. In the past, Hui Muslims usually kept these in a high place at home and only used them during religious gatherings (nieti) and the Eid festivals. Later, as stick incense became popular, the three-piece incense set was gradually replaced by a single incense burner.
The spread and evolution of blue and white porcelain in the Middle East.
The first is a blue and white porcelain plate from Jingdezhen in the 15th century. This type of floral blue and white porcelain plate was exported in large quantities to Middle Eastern countries during the Ming dynasty, and one is kept in the tomb of the famous Sufi Sheikh Safi al-Din in Iran.
The second is blue and white porcelain produced by the Ottoman Empire in the mid-15th century, representing an early Middle Eastern attempt to learn from Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain. The floral patterns are clearly influenced by China, but the cypress tree pattern is a Turkish specialty.
The third is porcelain produced around 1600 in Iznik, Turkey, under Ottoman rule. By this period, Iznik was able to produce high-quality blue and white porcelain, and the floral patterns continued to be influenced by China.
A 19th-century teak wood scripture box from northern Java. This intricately carved scripture box was generally only used in mosques and madrasas, and it features traditional Javanese-style patterns.
A Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain brush rest with the mark 'Made in the Zhengde reign of the Great Ming'. The front is written in Arabic as 'khamah' (pen), and the back is written in Arabic as 'dan' (rest).
The Islamic culture of Southeast Asia.
A collection of blessings for the Prophet (Dala'il al-Khayrat) copied in Terengganu on the Malay Peninsula in the 19th century. Malay people usually carried this book with them when they went on Hajj, so it includes diagrams of the Prophet's Mosque and the Sacred Mosque, marking the locations of the Prophet's tomb and the Kaaba. The two illustrations of the Kaaba use the ornate Terengganu decorative style and feature a lot of gold leaf.
A wooden carving of Buraq from Lanao del Sur province on Mindanao island in the southern Philippines, dating to the early 20th century; this is the mount the Prophet Muhammad rode during his Night Journey. Muslims in Mindanao display the Buraq during important feasts and holidays. Although the Hadith does not describe the face of the Buraq, it mentions it has a handsome face, so it has historically been depicted with a human face; this Buraq's headpiece and tail incorporate traditional Okir patterns from the southern Philippines.
A wooden tombstone from the southeast of Kalimantan island dated 1894; the intricately carved tombstone is a symbol of noble status and wealth, featuring both Malay and Arabic.
A prayer time chart from the mid-20th century at the Wak Sumang mosque in Punggol, Singapore, which was used until the mosque was demolished in 1995.
A book of divination (Primbon) from Semarang, Java, copied in 1824 in Jawi script (Arabic script used to write Malay). The book uses a combination of numerology and Quranic verses to provide guidance on decisions or auspicious dates and times for events ranging from moving house to getting married.
A magic square belt buckle from the late 19th to early 20th century in Kuala Kangsar, the royal city of the Sultan of Perak on the Malay Peninsula; it is inscribed with the Shahada and was part of traditional Malay attire.
Arabic calligraphy on wax-resist dyed cloth (Batik) from the Jambi region of Sumatra in the 20th century. This overall design, with four satellite patterns surrounding a central motif, originated from the Buddhist mandala and was later used by Muslims in Sumatra as a burial shroud for coffins.
A mulberry paper manuscript from Pattani, Malay Peninsula, dated 1835. This black folding manuscript is written with white talc; it was very popular in Buddhist regions of Myanmar and was later adopted by Muslims in places like Myanmar and Malaysia. The manuscript includes advice for young people, and the Song of Fatimah (Syair Dendang Fatimah) is often chanted during ceremonies for newborns.
On the left is a 19th-century Indonesian haji cap, and on the right is a Bugis songkok cap (Songkok Recca) from southern Sulawesi dating to the 19th or 20th century. White symbolizes purity and the plain white ihram garments worn during the Hajj pilgrimage; in Indonesia, it is typically worn by a haji who has returned from the pilgrimage. The black songkok cap comes from the Ottoman fez, and the Bugis people of southern Sulawesi usually wear this cap for Friday namaz. A wider gold band indicates a closer relationship with the king.
This early 20th-century batik sarong from Java depicts a Hajj pilgrimage group. The flag reads 'Bendera Radja Mekkah' (Flag of the King of Mecca), which was used during the 1916 Meccan revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The revolt was supported by the Hadharem people of Yemen. Many Arabs in Southeast Asia belong to Hadharem families, and some ran batik workshops on the north coast of Java while organizing Hajj trips for Javanese Muslims. This sarong was likely made in that context.
A scroll from the 1830s or 1840s showing a Shia Ashura procession in southern India, likely Chennai. The entire scroll is nearly 6 meters long. It shows a model of the tombs of Imam Hussein and Hassan (Ta'ziya), the mount of the Prophet during his night journey (Buraq), an Alam flag, the Hand of Abbas, a shield (Sipar), and a reenactment of the Battle of Karbala. You can also see the Chennai native infantry, people dressed as animals, and even elements of the Hindu Charak festival, which reflects India's multiculturalism.
An early 18th-century copper-gilt Alam flag pole from the Safavid dynasty in Iran, engraved with Quranic verses. The Alam flag pole is used by Shia Muslims during Ashura processions and consists of three parts. At the bottom, a cube rises on a copper axis engraved with a call to the Prophet. In the middle is a pear-shaped flat surface with a dragon head, featuring an enamel ball with colorful floral patterns. The top symbolizes the sword of Ali.
A 'Hand of Abbas' from the late 19th or early 20th century. Abbas was the son of Imam Ali. He served as the standard-bearer for his brother Imam Hussein's troops during the 680 AD Battle of Karbala against the Umayyad Caliphate. On the eve of Ashura, Abbas went to the Euphrates River to get water, but he was blocked by the enemy on his way back, his hands were cut off, and he was eventually killed. Since then, the 'Hand of Abbas' has been seen by Shia Muslims as a symbol of courage, sincerity, and self-sacrifice.
Two tombstones from the mid-15th-century Malacca Sultanate. Besides scripture, one of them is inscribed for a captain from Gujarat in western India who passed away in 1459. Muslim merchants from Gujarat played a key role in the trade of the Malacca Sultanate, where one of the four harbor masters was specifically in charge of trade with Gujarati merchants. These two tombstones were found by British engineers in the walls of the Portuguese fortress in Malacca and were among the first items collected by the Raffles Museum in Singapore, now known as the National Museum.
A gilded door panel from the early 20th century from Jepara or Kudus in Central Java. This traditional door panel is called Gebyog in Javanese and was used in traditional Javanese houses to separate the living room from the bedroom. Besides scripture, it features beautiful floral patterns. Lotus patterns were often used during the Hindu-Buddhist period, but these shifted to jasmine patterns after the arrival of Islam.
A 20th-century velvet tapestry embroidered with gold thread from Sumatra. This traditional tapestry is called Tekat. It was once used for royal clothing and buildings, but now it is mostly used at weddings or at the entrances of mosques and gongbei.
Three Southeast Asian scripture manuscripts in different styles.
A 19th-century scripture manuscript from the Terengganu region on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. Because it uses a large amount of gold, it is believed to have been commissioned by the Sultan's court in Terengganu. This type of manuscript from the Terengganu region is dense and delicate, featuring red and gold as the main colors, followed by black and green.
A 19th-century scripture manuscript from the Aceh region of Sumatra. Like those from the Terengganu region, the Aceh manuscripts also primarily use red, gold, and black. The most unique features of the Aceh manuscripts are their triangular edges and wing-shaped patterns.
A scripture manuscript from Central Java dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. Compared to the Aceh style from Sumatra and the Terengganu style from the Malay Peninsula, Javanese-style manuscripts feature more colors and patterns. Blue is more common in Javanese manuscripts, and the swastika (wan) pattern is also unique to them.
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Halal Travel Guide: 2023 Muslim Travel Record Index
Reposted from the web
Summary: This article is a 2023 travel record index that gathers the author previous Muslim travel notes by month and theme. It preserves the original structure, destinations, and travel links while removing source-link noise from the published English page.
Beijing
Three world music performances at the start of 2023
Visiting the Chaowai Balizhuang Mosque in Beijing on Jumu'ah
April Ramadan:
5 Ramadan iftar buffets in Beijing: A culinary tour of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Palestine
Celebrating the Bengali New Year—eating a Ramadan iftar buffet at Dastan Restaurant in Beijing
Spending Ramadan in Beijing in 2023 (Part 1)
Spending Ramadan in Beijing in 2023—the beautiful Balizhuang Mosque
June Indonesian Cultural Festival: Attending the Indonesian Cultural Festival at the Indonesian Embassy
June Eid al-Adha: Eid Mubarak
July Ashura: Ashura bean porridge (ashura) spanning Eurasia
September Mawlid: Spending the weekend in Beijing for the Mawlid
December Fatimah gathering: Spending the Fatimah gathering in Changying, Beijing, and eating traditional eight-bowl feast (badawan)
Home-style dishes: Urumqi home-style spicy chicken (jiaomaji) and Urumqi Hui Muslims fried dough (youxiang)
Hebei
Going to Zhuozhou, Hebei, for Jumu'ah prayers
The ancient mosque and halal food of Baoding
Jinan, Shandong
Visiting the Baba Cave and Baba Tomb in Jinan
Chifeng, Inner Mongolia
The North Mosque and halal food in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia
Jinzhou, Liaoning
Visiting ancient mosques in Jinzhou, Liaoning
Changchun, Jilin
Hand-pulled noodles (chenmian) in Nanguan and the Changtong Road Mosque in Changchun
Heilongjiang
The beautiful Acheng Mosque in Heilongjiang
The ancient Bukui Mosque and the Hui Muslim neighborhood in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang
The Daowai Mosque and the century-old Laoguo Family Restaurant in Harbin
Sichuan
Tianba, a beautiful Hui Muslim village deep in the mountains of Miyi, Sichuan
Eating rice noodles (mixian) in Xichang, Sichuan, after Jumuah prayer
Dali, Yunnan
Visiting ancient mosques in Weishan, Dali (2023 finale)
Visiting Binju Mosque in Dali, Yunnan
Fengming Mosque and clay pot rice noodles (shaguo mixian) in the ancient town of Fengyi, Dali
Three Hui Muslim caravan courtyards in Donglianhua Village, Weishan, Dali
An ancient Hui Muslim street on the Tea Horse Road: Yangbi, Dali
A century-old mosque and halal food in Xiaguan, Dali
Guangdong
Visiting Haopan Mosque and Xiaodongying Mosque in Guangzhou
Huaisheng Mosque and the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou
Hui Muslim fried dough (youxiang) and Yemeni food in Guangzhou
Halal roast goose and starfruit at the mosque in Zhaoqing, Guangdong
Macau
The Muslim cemetery (Moluoyuan) and Indonesian food in Macau
Hong Kong
A century of change for Hui Muslims in Hong Kong
2023 Hong Kong Halal Tour (Indonesian Java, Pakistan, Iran, and Tibetan food)
Thailand
Tour of Yunnan-style mosques in Northern Thailand (Day 1)
Tour of Yunnan-style mosques in Northern Thailand (Day 2)
Tour of Yunnan-style mosques in Northern Thailand (Day 3)
The diverse and integrated Muslim community in Bangkok
Visiting the Shia community in Bangkok
Bangkok Halal Tour: Food and Accommodation
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo: An Ottoman city in Europe
Recreating the life of Bosniaks under 19th-century Ottoman rule
Sarajevo Synagogue: A witness to Muslims helping Jewish refugees 500 years ago
Bosniak cuisine in Sarajevo
Commemorating the Bosnian War in Sarajevo
The spark of World War I and Sarajevo under Austro-Hungarian rule
Turkey
Meeting the 19th-century Ottoman Empire in Istanbul
Sleepless night in Istanbul
Revisiting Istanbul
Visiting the museum at the new Istanbul Airport
Diyarbakir, a thousand-year-old city by the Tigris River
Diyarbakir, a Kurdish city in southeastern Turkey
Mardin, a rocky mountain city on the Mesopotamian plain: Historical sites
Mardin, a rocky mountain city where Kurds, Arabs, and Assyrians live together: Food and lodging
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Roaming the city of Almaty
Visiting a mosque of the Hui Muslims in Almaty
Lebanon
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon
Tripoli, an ancient Mamluk city in northern Lebanon
Visiting ancient cities and mosques from the Umayyad Caliphate in Lebanon
Visiting a Shia holy site in Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
The gateway to Makkah: the old city of Jeddah
2023 Umrah travel log
Going to Madinah to offer salaam to the noble Prophet
Cairo, Egypt
Visiting the tomb of the last Iranian king, Pahlavi
Eating and exploring in the old city of Cairo
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Collapse Read »
Summary: This article is a 2023 travel record index that gathers the author previous Muslim travel notes by month and theme. It preserves the original structure, destinations, and travel links while removing source-link noise from the published English page.
Beijing
Three world music performances at the start of 2023
Visiting the Chaowai Balizhuang Mosque in Beijing on Jumu'ah
April Ramadan:
5 Ramadan iftar buffets in Beijing: A culinary tour of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Palestine
Celebrating the Bengali New Year—eating a Ramadan iftar buffet at Dastan Restaurant in Beijing
Spending Ramadan in Beijing in 2023 (Part 1)
Spending Ramadan in Beijing in 2023—the beautiful Balizhuang Mosque
June Indonesian Cultural Festival: Attending the Indonesian Cultural Festival at the Indonesian Embassy
June Eid al-Adha: Eid Mubarak
July Ashura: Ashura bean porridge (ashura) spanning Eurasia
September Mawlid: Spending the weekend in Beijing for the Mawlid
December Fatimah gathering: Spending the Fatimah gathering in Changying, Beijing, and eating traditional eight-bowl feast (badawan)
Home-style dishes: Urumqi home-style spicy chicken (jiaomaji) and Urumqi Hui Muslims fried dough (youxiang)
Hebei
Going to Zhuozhou, Hebei, for Jumu'ah prayers
The ancient mosque and halal food of Baoding
Jinan, Shandong
Visiting the Baba Cave and Baba Tomb in Jinan
Chifeng, Inner Mongolia
The North Mosque and halal food in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia
Jinzhou, Liaoning
Visiting ancient mosques in Jinzhou, Liaoning
Changchun, Jilin
Hand-pulled noodles (chenmian) in Nanguan and the Changtong Road Mosque in Changchun
Heilongjiang
The beautiful Acheng Mosque in Heilongjiang
The ancient Bukui Mosque and the Hui Muslim neighborhood in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang
The Daowai Mosque and the century-old Laoguo Family Restaurant in Harbin
Sichuan
Tianba, a beautiful Hui Muslim village deep in the mountains of Miyi, Sichuan
Eating rice noodles (mixian) in Xichang, Sichuan, after Jumuah prayer
Dali, Yunnan
Visiting ancient mosques in Weishan, Dali (2023 finale)
Visiting Binju Mosque in Dali, Yunnan
Fengming Mosque and clay pot rice noodles (shaguo mixian) in the ancient town of Fengyi, Dali
Three Hui Muslim caravan courtyards in Donglianhua Village, Weishan, Dali
An ancient Hui Muslim street on the Tea Horse Road: Yangbi, Dali
A century-old mosque and halal food in Xiaguan, Dali
Guangdong
Visiting Haopan Mosque and Xiaodongying Mosque in Guangzhou
Huaisheng Mosque and the Ancient Tomb of the Worthies in Guangzhou
Hui Muslim fried dough (youxiang) and Yemeni food in Guangzhou
Halal roast goose and starfruit at the mosque in Zhaoqing, Guangdong
Macau
The Muslim cemetery (Moluoyuan) and Indonesian food in Macau
Hong Kong
A century of change for Hui Muslims in Hong Kong
2023 Hong Kong Halal Tour (Indonesian Java, Pakistan, Iran, and Tibetan food)
Thailand
Tour of Yunnan-style mosques in Northern Thailand (Day 1)
Tour of Yunnan-style mosques in Northern Thailand (Day 2)
Tour of Yunnan-style mosques in Northern Thailand (Day 3)
The diverse and integrated Muslim community in Bangkok
Visiting the Shia community in Bangkok
Bangkok Halal Tour: Food and Accommodation
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo: An Ottoman city in Europe
Recreating the life of Bosniaks under 19th-century Ottoman rule
Sarajevo Synagogue: A witness to Muslims helping Jewish refugees 500 years ago
Bosniak cuisine in Sarajevo
Commemorating the Bosnian War in Sarajevo
The spark of World War I and Sarajevo under Austro-Hungarian rule
Turkey
Meeting the 19th-century Ottoman Empire in Istanbul
Sleepless night in Istanbul
Revisiting Istanbul
Visiting the museum at the new Istanbul Airport
Diyarbakir, a thousand-year-old city by the Tigris River
Diyarbakir, a Kurdish city in southeastern Turkey
Mardin, a rocky mountain city on the Mesopotamian plain: Historical sites
Mardin, a rocky mountain city where Kurds, Arabs, and Assyrians live together: Food and lodging
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Roaming the city of Almaty
Visiting a mosque of the Hui Muslims in Almaty
Lebanon
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon
Tripoli, an ancient Mamluk city in northern Lebanon
Visiting ancient cities and mosques from the Umayyad Caliphate in Lebanon
Visiting a Shia holy site in Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
The gateway to Makkah: the old city of Jeddah
2023 Umrah travel log
Going to Madinah to offer salaam to the noble Prophet
Cairo, Egypt
Visiting the tomb of the last Iranian king, Pahlavi
Eating and exploring in the old city of Cairo
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Collapse Read »
Halal Food Guide: Changying, Beijing - Fatimah Festival and Eight-Bowl Feast
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing travel account follows a Fatimah festival gathering in Changying and a traditional Hui Muslim eight-bowl feast. It keeps the original details on the meal, community setting, religious customs, and local food culture in clear English.
Today is the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Nine female elders from Changying, Beijing, organized the annual Fatimah gathering at the Changying Service Center to commemorate Lady Fatimah. The gathering began with an imam explaining the significance of remembering Lady Fatimah, followed by the recitation of the Quran and a closing dua. Afterward, we enjoyed the traditional North China banquet known as the Eight Great Bowls (badawan), which includes eight dishes: beef, meatballs, crispy meat (songrou), lamb offal, radish, kelp, yam, and fried tofu. The mix of meat and vegetables was delicious. As traditional villages disappear, most people now choose to hold religious gatherings (nieti) at restaurants with stir-fried dishes. It is truly rare to have the chance to experience a traditional outdoor banquet.
Lady Fatimah was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and Lady Khadijah, the wife of Imam Ali, and the mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn. The Prophet Muhammad considered her his dearest person and the most outstanding woman in history, believing she would be the first to enter Paradise. Lady Fatimah’s virtues of kindness, generosity, and filial piety serve as a model for all Muslim women, which is why people organize to commemorate her every year.
As the wife of Imam Ali, the first Imam of the Shia, Lady Fatimah has always held a high status in the Shia tradition. Iran celebrates Lady Fatimah’s birthday as Mother’s Day, and her death anniversary is known as Fatimiyya. Grand commemorations are held in countries like Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, where people take to the streets to mourn and build models of Lady Fatimah’s house.
Due to differences in historical records, there are many dates for Lady Fatimah’s death anniversary, but in North China, it is generally observed on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Around this date, Hui Muslim women organize Fatimah gatherings at various local mosques. People invite an imam to recite the Quran and lead a dua, while sharing stories of Lady Fatimah’s life. Those who are able will also fry oil-cakes (youxiang), cook meat porridge, and host banquets to mark the occasion. The Fatimah gathering, along with the Prophet’s birthday (sheng hui), Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, make up the 'two festivals and two gatherings' of the Hui Muslims in North China, which is an important cultural tradition.
Collapse Read »
Summary: This Beijing travel account follows a Fatimah festival gathering in Changying and a traditional Hui Muslim eight-bowl feast. It keeps the original details on the meal, community setting, religious customs, and local food culture in clear English.
Today is the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Nine female elders from Changying, Beijing, organized the annual Fatimah gathering at the Changying Service Center to commemorate Lady Fatimah. The gathering began with an imam explaining the significance of remembering Lady Fatimah, followed by the recitation of the Quran and a closing dua. Afterward, we enjoyed the traditional North China banquet known as the Eight Great Bowls (badawan), which includes eight dishes: beef, meatballs, crispy meat (songrou), lamb offal, radish, kelp, yam, and fried tofu. The mix of meat and vegetables was delicious. As traditional villages disappear, most people now choose to hold religious gatherings (nieti) at restaurants with stir-fried dishes. It is truly rare to have the chance to experience a traditional outdoor banquet.
Lady Fatimah was the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and Lady Khadijah, the wife of Imam Ali, and the mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn. The Prophet Muhammad considered her his dearest person and the most outstanding woman in history, believing she would be the first to enter Paradise. Lady Fatimah’s virtues of kindness, generosity, and filial piety serve as a model for all Muslim women, which is why people organize to commemorate her every year.
As the wife of Imam Ali, the first Imam of the Shia, Lady Fatimah has always held a high status in the Shia tradition. Iran celebrates Lady Fatimah’s birthday as Mother’s Day, and her death anniversary is known as Fatimiyya. Grand commemorations are held in countries like Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, where people take to the streets to mourn and build models of Lady Fatimah’s house.
Due to differences in historical records, there are many dates for Lady Fatimah’s death anniversary, but in North China, it is generally observed on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Islamic calendar. Around this date, Hui Muslim women organize Fatimah gatherings at various local mosques. People invite an imam to recite the Quran and lead a dua, while sharing stories of Lady Fatimah’s life. Those who are able will also fry oil-cakes (youxiang), cook meat porridge, and host banquets to mark the occasion. The Fatimah gathering, along with the Prophet’s birthday (sheng hui), Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, make up the 'two festivals and two gatherings' of the Hui Muslims in North China, which is an important cultural tradition.
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Halal Travel Guide: Almaty - Mosques, City Walks and Kazakh Culture (Part 1)
Reposted from the web
During the October holiday, I took a round-trip flight from Beijing to Istanbul via Almaty on Air Astana, which gave me two full days to spend in Almaty. On the way there, it happened to be Friday Jumu'ah, so we visited an old Hui mosque in the northern suburbs of Almaty. We were warmly welcomed by the elders there and even ate the pilaf (zhua fan) prepared by the mosque, which I wrote about in my post 'Visiting the Hui mosque in Almaty'. In this article, I will mainly introduce our experiences eating and exploring around downtown Almaty.
We flew from Beijing to Almaty in the early morning. After arriving, we took a taxi directly to Navat, a famous restaurant chain in Almaty. The main branch is actually in Bishkek, and they have branches in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The restaurant's decor features a distinct Central Asian style.
I originally wanted to go to the Navat on the pedestrian street, but I used Yandex Go to set the destination to a different branch. This location didn't have an English menu, so we had to order by looking at the pictures.
We ordered Uyghur milk tea (Atkan Chay) and Turkmen milk tea (Kirma Chay). Atkan Chay is made with brick tea, milk, and salt, while Kirma Chay is made with black tea, milk, oil, roasted wheat flour, and salt.
The classic pairing for milk tea is definitely fried dough (Bauyrsaq), which can be shaped into diamonds or balls. Turkic peoples and Mongols all love eating these fried snacks.
We also ordered a platter of various Kazakh dairy products. One of them, Irimshik, is a semi-cheese made from a mix of cow and sheep milk; it is light brown, sweet, and very chewy. Qurt is a very dry yogurt ball. The word itself comes from the Middle Persian word for 'dry,' so it has a very long shelf life and high nutritional value, making it perfect for winter and long journeys. Gent is a dessert made by mixing dry cheese, roasted wheat, sugar, honey, and raisins, which goes very well with tea.
For the main course, we ordered horse meat five-finger noodles (Beshbarmak). Beshbarmak is a classic delicacy for Kazakh and Kyrgyz herders and is a must-have dish for festivals. When preparing it, one person cuts the meat while another kneads the dough. The meat is sliced and spread over the noodle sheets, then served with potatoes. People usually eat mutton in the summer, and after the winter slaughter, they eat horse meat and horse sausage.
Almaty is truly the most park-like city I have ever visited. It is full of greenery and gardens, and there is a small park every few steps. The streets are quiet and everyone is very relaxed.
After leaving Navat, we walked through a small park across from the Almaty Museum, which features a statue commemorating the 1931-1933 Kazakhstan famine. This famine caused about 1.5 million deaths, and in the most desperate moments, there were even tragedies of cannibalism. The great famine caused the proportion of Kazakhs in the Kazakh ASSR at the time to drop from 60% to 38%, making them a minority. The sculpture is inscribed with words from Nazarbayev: 'This famine, which caused heavy casualties and brought great suffering to the people, will never be forgotten.'
The park also has a statue of the Kazakh poet Turmagambet Iztleuow (1882-1939). to writing a large amount of Kazakh poetry, he was also the translator of the Persian epic Shahnameh into Kazakh. In 1935, the poet was falsely accused and arrested as an 'enemy of the people,' and he died in a dungeon in 1937. In 2007, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the poet's death, people erected this statue next to the former KGB building.
Buying fermented dairy drinks in the shops on the streets of Almaty. Here, camel milk is called Shubat, horse milk is called Kumuz, and cow milk is called Ayran. We bought a bottle of horse milk, which was much stronger than what we drank at a Kazakh shop in Urumqi before. It was fermented until very sour, with a kick like eating mustard that could send you to the sky after one sip. Interested friends (dosti) can buy a bottle to try.
We took a night flight from Istanbul back to Almaty, and after arriving at Almaty Airport in the morning, we took a Yandex Go directly to Arasan, the most famous Soviet-style public bathhouse in Almaty, for a bath and massage.
The establishment of Arasan dates back to the competition between the Kazakh SSR and the Uzbek SSR at the time. In 1974, the Uzbek SSR took the lead by building a large comprehensive bathhouse in Tashkent. The Kazakh SSR was not to be outdone, so in 1979, many architects participated in the design to rebuild a 1-million-cubic-meter large bathhouse on the original site of the Gogol Street bathhouse built in 1935. It was completed in 1982 and became the largest bathhouse in Central Asia.
Arasan opens at 7:00 AM. It is less crowded in the morning, so you can bathe more freely. It is also quite cool on autumn mornings, so it is the perfect time to go in and warm up. To the right of the main entrance is a shop selling bath supplies. The most unique items are the various felt hats and bath whisks made from birch, oak, or even pine leaves, which are used in Russian saunas (banya). I ended up buying a felt hat embroidered with 'Arasan' as a souvenir.
The Arasan building itself has a very 1980s Soviet feel, with a lobby that is spacious and imposing. The ticket office on the right has a price list in English, and there is a young Kazakh woman there who speaks fluent English. We bought a one-hour entry ticket plus a 45-minute classic massage. We also rented slippers and a bath towel, then took our wristbands and went inside.
Once inside, the men's and women's areas are completely separate. When I entered the men's side, I saw many sturdy Kazakh and Russian men. For someone like me entering a Soviet-style bathhouse for the first time, it was quite a visual shock. After showering, I went to the classic Russian sauna (banya) area. There are both traditional wood-fired saunas and electric saunas with heated stones. I tried the wood-fired sauna first. When I walked in, a big guy was splashing water onto the stove. The temperature rose with every splash, and I couldn't last long. Every time I exhaled, it felt like I was on fire. I truly admired how calm everyone else looked. Most people wear felt hats to keep their heads from getting burned. Many people also use bath whisks soaked in hot water to pat their bodies, which helps improve blood circulation.
After steaming for a while, everyone comes out to splash themselves with cold water. There is a huge wooden barrel you climb steps to reach before jumping straight into the cold water. There is also a small bucket hanging overhead; you pull a rope and all the cold water pours down on you. There is also a circular cold-water pool under a massive dome. Many of the older men just dive straight in, swim a few laps, and then get out. I swam a lap in the pool, too. The water felt much colder than in swimming pools back home. If I hadn't been warmed up by the sauna, I wouldn't have dared to go in. I think this dome is the most beautiful part of the entire bathhouse. It seems to be designed after a Kazakh yurt. Sunlight streams down from above, making it very bright. Around the pool are chairs with mosaic tiles that are heated from underneath, so you can sit and rest.
After the sauna, it was time for a massage. The Russian-style massage here happens on a hard marble bed, performed by a Kazakh guy who is twice my size and has a chest full of hair like a thicket. He started by splashing a few basins of water on me, lathered me up with soap, and then began the massage. His hands were very strong, and he hit every joint perfectly, which felt incredibly satisfying. There was a restaurant after the massage, but I left without eating, so I don't know how the food tastes.
After returning my slippers and towel, I just tapped my VISA card at the exit, which was very convenient. The sun was already out, and I started my city walk through Almaty feeling full of energy.
After bathing at Arasan, we bought some Turkic honey cake (shek-shek) and milk curd cakes (qurt) at a snack shop downstairs, and we also had some milk tea. Shek-shek is a dessert popular among many Turkic-speaking peoples, including Tatars, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Bashkirs, and Kazakhs. It is usually written as Chak-chak in English, is most famous in Tatarstan, and is a must-have dessert at weddings. The way shek-shek is made is basically the same as Manchu honey cake (saqima). Kazan Tatars usually make it into small balls, while Kazakhs usually make it into strips.
A short walk north from Arasan Bathhouse, you can see the Kyzyl-Tan store, built by Kazan Tatar merchant Iskhak Gabdulvaliev in 1896. It is one of the few remaining Muslim buildings in Almaty that survived the 1911 earthquake.
This building was designed and built by French architect Paul Gourdet in the New Russian style, featuring beautiful lace-like wooden eaves and fish-scale-shaped roofing. After the October Revolution, the Kyzyl-Tan store was nationalized, and after 1981, it became a fabric store under the Soviet Central Department Store. The Kyzyl-Tan store was severely damaged by a fire in 2009, but it was later restored. Today, it is still a fabric store, and you can see all kinds of beautiful materials inside.
The Almaty Museum was also built by French architect Paul Gourdet in 1892. It was originally an orphanage, and the Almaty Museum only moved here after 2016. The museum is not very big, but it gives a complete overview of Almaty through different eras. The collection from the 19th to 20th centuries is especially interesting, as you can see the various daily items used by Almaty residents back then.
A highlight of the Almaty Museum is a suit of armor from the 17th-century Kazakh Khanate, with very fine carvings on the helmet and shield. There are also 19th-century saddles and water jugs.
Green Bazaar (Zelyony Bazar) is the oldest and most famous market in Almaty. It was designed and built by architect Jan Kozell-Poklevsky in 1875. At that time, it hosted merchants from all over Central Asia and helped the city of Almaty grow. The current Green Bazaar was built in 1975 by architect Mark Pavlov in the Brutalism architectural style. This architectural style appeared in the UK in the 1950s and was widely used in post-war socialist countries. It focuses on using raw reinforced concrete structures without decoration, emphasizing practicality.
Today, the Green Bazaar is a lively market where different ethnic groups gather. There are Kazakhs selling horse meat, Russians selling pork, Koreans selling kimchi, Dungan people selling small goods, Uyghurs selling fruit, and more. People live in this city for all sorts of reasons, which creates Almaty's unique character.
We bought flaky baked buns (samsa) at the market entrance and met a Dungan uncle who offered to translate for us. Then, we bought fresh-pressed pomegranate and guava juice at a fruit stall inside, and bought long apples downstairs. The market downstairs at the Green Bazaar is more crowded. There is a very popular naan bread shop with a long line of people.
The streets of Almaty are very quiet and clean. There are almost no motorcycles or electric scooters, but you can see quite a few electric kick scooters. We tried Yandex Go, which you can ride just by scanning a code. Since the old town of Almaty is higher in the south and lower in the north, we didn't need to use the motor when riding from south to north. We just coasted all the way down, passing Soviet-era buildings, playgrounds, and tree-lined paths. It was very pleasant.
On the way, we passed the Jambyl Kazakh State Philharmonic Hall, built between 1933 and 1936. During the Soviet era, it was the largest concert hall in the Kazakh SSR.
We also passed the Almaty Palace of Schoolchildren, built between 1978 and 1983. From a distance, it looks like a large mosque.
For lunch, we ate at Kaganat, which is popular with Almaty's working class and students. It works like a cafeteria where you point at what you want, and then pay at the end, so it is also great for tourists.
Kaganat serves both Russian and Kazakh food. Although the decor is modern, it still has the feel of a large Soviet canteen. The first section has various desserts and breads, including small oil naan (xiao you nang) and croissants. The second section is cold salads, where the Russian-style beetroot herring salad is very popular. The third section is various fruit teas. The jam is at the bottom of the glass, and you can pick up a tea bag at the checkout counter. The fourth section is the main course, with beef stew, lamb stew, chicken wings, and rice. Many people also drink borscht (hongcaitang). We ended up paying over 30 RMB per person, which is great value for money.
The National Museum of Kazakhstan was founded in 1931, and the current building was constructed in 1985. I highly recommend the shop right at the museum entrance. The various Kazakh handicrafts are beautiful. Zainab bought a felt shoulder bag with Kazakh patterns, and I bought a felt hat with earflaps. Both look very stylish.
Helmets and shields collected by the National Museum of Kazakhstan.
Religious items collected by the National Museum of Kazakhstan include an imam's robe and turban, prayer rugs, wooden and bone tablets for students (mulla) to study scriptures, pocket-sized Qurans for herdsmen, prayer beads, embroidered bags for scriptures, and passports used for Hajj.
In the evening, we went to a high-end Kazakh restaurant called SANDYQ near the pedestrian street. The interior features a nomadic style, and the waiters all wear traditional Kazakh clothing. They serve the most traditional Kazakh nomadic dishes, which have not been influenced by Russian cuisine. We ordered horse meat stew (Bal Kuyrdak), cold beef tongue, nomadic grain soup (Nomad Kozhe), and pan-baked bread (Taba nan) with homemade butter and mountain honey. We also ordered fermented camel milk (Shubat) and fermented mare's milk (Kumis). Kozhe soup is what Kazakhs drink when celebrating the Nowruz festival, and it contains milk and dried cheese balls (Qurut). Their fermented mare's milk (Kumis) has a stronger taste than what is sold in supermarkets. Zainab and I took turns drinking a small cup just to finish it. It was truly an unforgettable experience, and in the future, we will stick to drinking camel milk and cow's milk.
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During the October holiday, I took a round-trip flight from Beijing to Istanbul via Almaty on Air Astana, which gave me two full days to spend in Almaty. On the way there, it happened to be Friday Jumu'ah, so we visited an old Hui mosque in the northern suburbs of Almaty. We were warmly welcomed by the elders there and even ate the pilaf (zhua fan) prepared by the mosque, which I wrote about in my post 'Visiting the Hui mosque in Almaty'. In this article, I will mainly introduce our experiences eating and exploring around downtown Almaty.
We flew from Beijing to Almaty in the early morning. After arriving, we took a taxi directly to Navat, a famous restaurant chain in Almaty. The main branch is actually in Bishkek, and they have branches in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The restaurant's decor features a distinct Central Asian style.
I originally wanted to go to the Navat on the pedestrian street, but I used Yandex Go to set the destination to a different branch. This location didn't have an English menu, so we had to order by looking at the pictures.
We ordered Uyghur milk tea (Atkan Chay) and Turkmen milk tea (Kirma Chay). Atkan Chay is made with brick tea, milk, and salt, while Kirma Chay is made with black tea, milk, oil, roasted wheat flour, and salt.
The classic pairing for milk tea is definitely fried dough (Bauyrsaq), which can be shaped into diamonds or balls. Turkic peoples and Mongols all love eating these fried snacks.
We also ordered a platter of various Kazakh dairy products. One of them, Irimshik, is a semi-cheese made from a mix of cow and sheep milk; it is light brown, sweet, and very chewy. Qurt is a very dry yogurt ball. The word itself comes from the Middle Persian word for 'dry,' so it has a very long shelf life and high nutritional value, making it perfect for winter and long journeys. Gent is a dessert made by mixing dry cheese, roasted wheat, sugar, honey, and raisins, which goes very well with tea.
For the main course, we ordered horse meat five-finger noodles (Beshbarmak). Beshbarmak is a classic delicacy for Kazakh and Kyrgyz herders and is a must-have dish for festivals. When preparing it, one person cuts the meat while another kneads the dough. The meat is sliced and spread over the noodle sheets, then served with potatoes. People usually eat mutton in the summer, and after the winter slaughter, they eat horse meat and horse sausage.
Almaty is truly the most park-like city I have ever visited. It is full of greenery and gardens, and there is a small park every few steps. The streets are quiet and everyone is very relaxed.
After leaving Navat, we walked through a small park across from the Almaty Museum, which features a statue commemorating the 1931-1933 Kazakhstan famine. This famine caused about 1.5 million deaths, and in the most desperate moments, there were even tragedies of cannibalism. The great famine caused the proportion of Kazakhs in the Kazakh ASSR at the time to drop from 60% to 38%, making them a minority. The sculpture is inscribed with words from Nazarbayev: 'This famine, which caused heavy casualties and brought great suffering to the people, will never be forgotten.'
The park also has a statue of the Kazakh poet Turmagambet Iztleuow (1882-1939). to writing a large amount of Kazakh poetry, he was also the translator of the Persian epic Shahnameh into Kazakh. In 1935, the poet was falsely accused and arrested as an 'enemy of the people,' and he died in a dungeon in 1937. In 2007, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the poet's death, people erected this statue next to the former KGB building.
Buying fermented dairy drinks in the shops on the streets of Almaty. Here, camel milk is called Shubat, horse milk is called Kumuz, and cow milk is called Ayran. We bought a bottle of horse milk, which was much stronger than what we drank at a Kazakh shop in Urumqi before. It was fermented until very sour, with a kick like eating mustard that could send you to the sky after one sip. Interested friends (dosti) can buy a bottle to try.
We took a night flight from Istanbul back to Almaty, and after arriving at Almaty Airport in the morning, we took a Yandex Go directly to Arasan, the most famous Soviet-style public bathhouse in Almaty, for a bath and massage.
The establishment of Arasan dates back to the competition between the Kazakh SSR and the Uzbek SSR at the time. In 1974, the Uzbek SSR took the lead by building a large comprehensive bathhouse in Tashkent. The Kazakh SSR was not to be outdone, so in 1979, many architects participated in the design to rebuild a 1-million-cubic-meter large bathhouse on the original site of the Gogol Street bathhouse built in 1935. It was completed in 1982 and became the largest bathhouse in Central Asia.
Arasan opens at 7:00 AM. It is less crowded in the morning, so you can bathe more freely. It is also quite cool on autumn mornings, so it is the perfect time to go in and warm up. To the right of the main entrance is a shop selling bath supplies. The most unique items are the various felt hats and bath whisks made from birch, oak, or even pine leaves, which are used in Russian saunas (banya). I ended up buying a felt hat embroidered with 'Arasan' as a souvenir.
The Arasan building itself has a very 1980s Soviet feel, with a lobby that is spacious and imposing. The ticket office on the right has a price list in English, and there is a young Kazakh woman there who speaks fluent English. We bought a one-hour entry ticket plus a 45-minute classic massage. We also rented slippers and a bath towel, then took our wristbands and went inside.
Once inside, the men's and women's areas are completely separate. When I entered the men's side, I saw many sturdy Kazakh and Russian men. For someone like me entering a Soviet-style bathhouse for the first time, it was quite a visual shock. After showering, I went to the classic Russian sauna (banya) area. There are both traditional wood-fired saunas and electric saunas with heated stones. I tried the wood-fired sauna first. When I walked in, a big guy was splashing water onto the stove. The temperature rose with every splash, and I couldn't last long. Every time I exhaled, it felt like I was on fire. I truly admired how calm everyone else looked. Most people wear felt hats to keep their heads from getting burned. Many people also use bath whisks soaked in hot water to pat their bodies, which helps improve blood circulation.
After steaming for a while, everyone comes out to splash themselves with cold water. There is a huge wooden barrel you climb steps to reach before jumping straight into the cold water. There is also a small bucket hanging overhead; you pull a rope and all the cold water pours down on you. There is also a circular cold-water pool under a massive dome. Many of the older men just dive straight in, swim a few laps, and then get out. I swam a lap in the pool, too. The water felt much colder than in swimming pools back home. If I hadn't been warmed up by the sauna, I wouldn't have dared to go in. I think this dome is the most beautiful part of the entire bathhouse. It seems to be designed after a Kazakh yurt. Sunlight streams down from above, making it very bright. Around the pool are chairs with mosaic tiles that are heated from underneath, so you can sit and rest.
After the sauna, it was time for a massage. The Russian-style massage here happens on a hard marble bed, performed by a Kazakh guy who is twice my size and has a chest full of hair like a thicket. He started by splashing a few basins of water on me, lathered me up with soap, and then began the massage. His hands were very strong, and he hit every joint perfectly, which felt incredibly satisfying. There was a restaurant after the massage, but I left without eating, so I don't know how the food tastes.
After returning my slippers and towel, I just tapped my VISA card at the exit, which was very convenient. The sun was already out, and I started my city walk through Almaty feeling full of energy.
After bathing at Arasan, we bought some Turkic honey cake (shek-shek) and milk curd cakes (qurt) at a snack shop downstairs, and we also had some milk tea. Shek-shek is a dessert popular among many Turkic-speaking peoples, including Tatars, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Bashkirs, and Kazakhs. It is usually written as Chak-chak in English, is most famous in Tatarstan, and is a must-have dessert at weddings. The way shek-shek is made is basically the same as Manchu honey cake (saqima). Kazan Tatars usually make it into small balls, while Kazakhs usually make it into strips.
A short walk north from Arasan Bathhouse, you can see the Kyzyl-Tan store, built by Kazan Tatar merchant Iskhak Gabdulvaliev in 1896. It is one of the few remaining Muslim buildings in Almaty that survived the 1911 earthquake.
This building was designed and built by French architect Paul Gourdet in the New Russian style, featuring beautiful lace-like wooden eaves and fish-scale-shaped roofing. After the October Revolution, the Kyzyl-Tan store was nationalized, and after 1981, it became a fabric store under the Soviet Central Department Store. The Kyzyl-Tan store was severely damaged by a fire in 2009, but it was later restored. Today, it is still a fabric store, and you can see all kinds of beautiful materials inside.
The Almaty Museum was also built by French architect Paul Gourdet in 1892. It was originally an orphanage, and the Almaty Museum only moved here after 2016. The museum is not very big, but it gives a complete overview of Almaty through different eras. The collection from the 19th to 20th centuries is especially interesting, as you can see the various daily items used by Almaty residents back then.
A highlight of the Almaty Museum is a suit of armor from the 17th-century Kazakh Khanate, with very fine carvings on the helmet and shield. There are also 19th-century saddles and water jugs.
Green Bazaar (Zelyony Bazar) is the oldest and most famous market in Almaty. It was designed and built by architect Jan Kozell-Poklevsky in 1875. At that time, it hosted merchants from all over Central Asia and helped the city of Almaty grow. The current Green Bazaar was built in 1975 by architect Mark Pavlov in the Brutalism architectural style. This architectural style appeared in the UK in the 1950s and was widely used in post-war socialist countries. It focuses on using raw reinforced concrete structures without decoration, emphasizing practicality.
Today, the Green Bazaar is a lively market where different ethnic groups gather. There are Kazakhs selling horse meat, Russians selling pork, Koreans selling kimchi, Dungan people selling small goods, Uyghurs selling fruit, and more. People live in this city for all sorts of reasons, which creates Almaty's unique character.
We bought flaky baked buns (samsa) at the market entrance and met a Dungan uncle who offered to translate for us. Then, we bought fresh-pressed pomegranate and guava juice at a fruit stall inside, and bought long apples downstairs. The market downstairs at the Green Bazaar is more crowded. There is a very popular naan bread shop with a long line of people.
The streets of Almaty are very quiet and clean. There are almost no motorcycles or electric scooters, but you can see quite a few electric kick scooters. We tried Yandex Go, which you can ride just by scanning a code. Since the old town of Almaty is higher in the south and lower in the north, we didn't need to use the motor when riding from south to north. We just coasted all the way down, passing Soviet-era buildings, playgrounds, and tree-lined paths. It was very pleasant.
On the way, we passed the Jambyl Kazakh State Philharmonic Hall, built between 1933 and 1936. During the Soviet era, it was the largest concert hall in the Kazakh SSR.
We also passed the Almaty Palace of Schoolchildren, built between 1978 and 1983. From a distance, it looks like a large mosque.
For lunch, we ate at Kaganat, which is popular with Almaty's working class and students. It works like a cafeteria where you point at what you want, and then pay at the end, so it is also great for tourists.
Kaganat serves both Russian and Kazakh food. Although the decor is modern, it still has the feel of a large Soviet canteen. The first section has various desserts and breads, including small oil naan (xiao you nang) and croissants. The second section is cold salads, where the Russian-style beetroot herring salad is very popular. The third section is various fruit teas. The jam is at the bottom of the glass, and you can pick up a tea bag at the checkout counter. The fourth section is the main course, with beef stew, lamb stew, chicken wings, and rice. Many people also drink borscht (hongcaitang). We ended up paying over 30 RMB per person, which is great value for money.
The National Museum of Kazakhstan was founded in 1931, and the current building was constructed in 1985. I highly recommend the shop right at the museum entrance. The various Kazakh handicrafts are beautiful. Zainab bought a felt shoulder bag with Kazakh patterns, and I bought a felt hat with earflaps. Both look very stylish.
Helmets and shields collected by the National Museum of Kazakhstan.
Religious items collected by the National Museum of Kazakhstan include an imam's robe and turban, prayer rugs, wooden and bone tablets for students (mulla) to study scriptures, pocket-sized Qurans for herdsmen, prayer beads, embroidered bags for scriptures, and passports used for Hajj.
In the evening, we went to a high-end Kazakh restaurant called SANDYQ near the pedestrian street. The interior features a nomadic style, and the waiters all wear traditional Kazakh clothing. They serve the most traditional Kazakh nomadic dishes, which have not been influenced by Russian cuisine. We ordered horse meat stew (Bal Kuyrdak), cold beef tongue, nomadic grain soup (Nomad Kozhe), and pan-baked bread (Taba nan) with homemade butter and mountain honey. We also ordered fermented camel milk (Shubat) and fermented mare's milk (Kumis). Kozhe soup is what Kazakhs drink when celebrating the Nowruz festival, and it contains milk and dried cheese balls (Qurut). Their fermented mare's milk (Kumis) has a stronger taste than what is sold in supermarkets. Zainab and I took turns drinking a small cup just to finish it. It was truly an unforgettable experience, and in the future, we will stick to drinking camel milk and cow's milk.
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Halal Travel Guide: Sarajevo - Ottoman Mosques, Streets and Bosniak History (Part 1)
Reposted from the web
Gazi Husrev Bey complex
Gazi Husrev Bey was the Ottoman governor (Sanjak-bey) of Bosnia from 1521 to 1541. During his rule, the Ottoman Empire continued to expand into Croatia and Hungary. He also funded many important buildings in Sarajevo and dedicated his wealth to supporting religious and educational institutions for the long term. The foundation (Wakof) established by Gazi Husrev Bey manages the mosque, public kitchen, hostel, Sufi lodge, madrasa, library, clock tower, mausoleum, inn, hospital, fountain, primary school, and many shops in the center of the Old Bazaar in Sarajevo, making it the most important building complex in the old city.
Mosque
When the adhan sounded, we rushed to the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque, the most important Friday mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the core landmark of the Old Bazaar in Sarajevo and has been the city's central mosque since it was built in 1530. Important scenes from the movie 'Walter Defends Sarajevo,' well-known to Chinese audiences, were filmed here. It was also the first mosque in the world to have electricity and electric lights in 1898.
The Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque was designed and built by the Ottoman court architect Adzem Esir Ali, who came from Tabriz, Persia. He built many structures in Istanbul during the early 16th century and was one of the founders of the early Istanbul architectural school. The main hall is 13 meters long and 13 meters wide, with a central dome 26 meters high, achieving a perfect one-to-two ratio. The front porch consists of five small domes supported by four marble columns.
The interior paintings of the mosque were damaged by fire and later repainted in 1886 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in a Moorish Revival style. During the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque was hit by over 100 mortar shells, causing major damage, and was repaired after the ceasefire in 1996. During the restoration, the late 19th-century Austro-Hungarian paintings were removed, and new interior decorations were painted by Bosnian calligrapher Hazim Numanagić between 2001 and 2002.
The mosque's main gate is beautifully decorated with intricate marble and gilded carvings. The Arabic calligraphy on the door adds up to the number 938, which is the year the mosque was built according to the Islamic calendar (1530/31 AD).
The muezzin calls the adhan and responds to the imam from a platform called Müezzin Mahfili in Turkish or Dikka in Arabic, where people also recite the Quran during nights in Ramadan. Usually, only large mosques have a Dikka platform built across from the minbar pulpit. Before sound systems existed, not everyone could hear the imam leading the namaz, so the muezzin needed to stand on the platform to make sure everyone could hear.
The area inside the railing below the Dikka platform was once a place for high-ranking officials and royalty to pray, known as the Hünkâr Mahfili. In royal mosques, the Hünkâr Mahfili is usually an elevated platform, while in smaller ones, it is a railed area on the ground floor. Today, everyone can pray here, but the railing has been kept.
Fountain
In front of the main hall of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque is the Shadirvan fountain. This type of fountain used for drinking and performing wudu originated in Persia and later became a typical architectural element of the Ottoman Empire, usually placed in the center of courtyards in mosques, caravanserais, dervish lodges, and madrasas.
This Shadirvan fountain was first built in 1530, with water coming from the Crnilo spring 7 kilometers away through clay pipes connected to the city of Sarajevo. It was rebuilt in 1893, modeled after the fountain at the Great Mosque of Bursa in Turkey, and connected to a modern water supply system. The fountain was severely damaged during the war from 1992 to 1995 and was rebuilt to its original appearance in 1997. You can still see three water basins from the original fountain in the mosque courtyard today.
There is a drinking fountain for passersby along the wall in the northwest corner of the courtyard, a common sight in Ottoman cities.
Muwaqqithana
In the northwest corner of the mosque sits a small building from 1859 called the Muwaqqithana, where an astronomer known as a Muwaqqit used calculations to set the times for namaz and fasting. Early mosques mostly relied on a muezzin to watch shadow lengths and twilight to set prayer times. By the late 13th century, during the Mamluk dynasty in Egypt, specialized astronomers called Muwaqqit began to appear, and this practice gradually spread everywhere.
Mausoleum
Gazi Husrev Bey was born in 1480 to a Bosnian noble father and a mother who was the daughter of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II. He lost both parents when he was very young and grew up in the Ottoman court. He later earned many military honors and was appointed governor of Bosnia in 1521, becoming one of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's most trusted men.
In 1541, a noble uprising broke out in Montenegro. Gazi Husrev Bey fought several battles to maintain order in the region and was eventually killed in a small village. His body was returned to Sarajevo and buried next to the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque. The mausoleum of Gazi Husrev Bey is a typical 16th-century octagonal Ottoman tomb, which underwent repairs in 1895 and 2002.
Next to the tomb of Gazi Husrev Bey is a smaller octagonal mausoleum where his deputy, the Ottoman general Murat-beg Tardić, is buried. Murat-beg was Croatian. He became an Ottoman prisoner of war when he was young, later served under Gazi Husrev Bey, and became his close partner due to his outstanding military achievements. Murat-beg led several conquests against Croatia. In 1537, he completely crushed the military defenses of the Kingdom of Croatia, playing a major role in the westward expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Murat-beg died in 1545 and was buried next to the tomb of Gazi Husrev Bey.
Kursumlija Madrasa
On the north side of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque is the Kursumlija Madrasa, built by Gazi Husrev Bey in 1537 and dedicated to his mother, the Ottoman princess Selçuka. The madrasa consists of a courtyard with 12 classrooms, each featuring a fireplace and a dome, with a fountain for wudu in the center of the courtyard. After 2013, this site became the Gazi Husrev-beg Museum, which showcases his life, the foundation complex he established, and his contributions to the urban development of Sarajevo.
A 19th-century water jug used specifically to hold the mixed drink sharbat for Mawlid celebrations.
An ancient Quran copied in 1784 by Muhamed Filibevi from Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
A burial shroud for the 16th-century tomb of the Prophet, gifted to Bosnia and Herzegovina by Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz in 1867.
To the right of the madrasa is the Sufi lodge (khanqah), which is now a gallery, though it was closed when we visited.
Library
On the northwest side of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque is the Gazi Husrev Bey Library, founded in 1537 using the remaining funds from the construction of the madrasa. The library was originally part of the madrasa and did not have its own separate room until 1863. The library was forced to close after the Siege of Sarajevo began in 1992 and did not reopen until 2014. The new library was built with an 8.8 million dollar donation from Qatar. It houses over 100,000 manuscripts and books in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Bosnian, and other languages, covering fields like Islam, literature, philosophy, history, medicine, and astronomy.
As the library with the richest collection of Islamic books in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Gazi Husrev Bey Library has faced many trials over its nearly 500 years of operation, but the 1992-1995 Bosnian War was undoubtedly the most difficult. The aggressors made destroying the historical and cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina a key goal, especially targeting historical buildings that housed written records. Staff at the Gazi Husrev Bey Library risked their lives to successfully move tens of thousands of precious Islamic books to safety, making a huge contribution to saving Bosnian history and culture.
To preserve the books in the Gazi Husrev Bey Library, staff moved the book storage areas many times. In 1992, the library decided to move 21 packages containing the most precious manuscripts to the vault of the Privredna Bank. To avoid Serbian snipers on the streets, they packed the books in banana boxes, but they were then robbed by hungry civilians. Fortunately, the civilians let them go after discovering the boxes contained books instead of bananas. After many hardships, these books were finally saved until the end of the war.
The 63rd handwritten scripture by Hafiz Ibrahim Sehovic, completed in 1807. Hafiz Sehovic copied at least 66 Qurans in his lifetime, and the Gazi Husrev-beg Library holds four of them.
A handwritten scripture completed by Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Muhägir ad-Dagistani al-Makki in 1849.
A Quran selection (Juz') gifted by Ferhad-pasha Sokolovic in 1587 to a mosque in the city of Banja Luka in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A Quran selection (Juz') gifted by Mehmed-pasha Sokolovic in 1570 to a mosque in his birthplace in eastern Bosnia.
A handwritten scripture created by Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Hafiz as-Sirazi in 1572-73.
The Rose Garden (Gulistān) is a prose work written by the great Persian poet Saadi in 1258. This manuscript was annotated by the great 16th-century Bosnian classical literature critic Ahmed Sudi Bosnjak and copied by Ahmad b. al-hagg Husayn al-Mostari in 1765. Ahmed Sudi was born in eastern Bosnia and later lived in Istanbul for a long time. He was an expert in Persian literature and wrote a series of commentaries on Persian literary classics in Ottoman Turkish. These had a huge influence in the Ottoman Empire and were widely used by later Persian scholars and Western orientalists.
19th-century Arabic calligraphy art from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the second and third pieces collected from an old traditional wooden mosque in Bužim, northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A chandelier used in a mosque in the early 20th century.
Artifacts collected in the Gazi Husrev Bey Library.
Candlesticks formerly used in mosques and Sufi lodges (tekke) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A stone tablet from 1613 above the gate of the Haji Osman Mosque in the southeastern Bosnian city of Foča; this mosque was demolished in 1964.
This textbook on Hanafi jurisprudence was written in the 16th century and used for a long time in Ottoman madrasas. This specific copy dates back to the 17th century.
This Arabic-Turkish dictionary was compiled in the 16th century and contains 40,000 words. It was very popular in Bosnian madrasas, and this copy was made in 1631.
A work on Islamic law copied in Foča in the second half of the 16th century.
A manuscript of the Quran from 1474.
A cannon used in the 19th century during Ramadan to signal the start and end of the daily fast.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved in Naskh script during the 1763-4 renovation of the Hasan Pehlivan mosque in Sarajevo.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved in Naskh script during the 1780-1 renovation of the Haji-Omer fountain in front of the Emperor's Mosque in Sarajevo.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved in Naskh script during the 1553-4 renovation of the Mustafa Pasha mosque in the southeastern Bosnian city of Foča. This mosque was demolished in 1947.
An Arabic tombstone from the grave of Turhan Emin bey, who served as the Ottoman governor (sanjak-bey) of Herzegovina. His grave is in Ustikolina in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, the site of what was once the oldest mosque in the country. The turban carving at the top of the tombstone is a classic feature of Ottoman-era grave markers.
A Turkish-language commemorative stone inscription from 1857-8 on the Fadil Pasha madrasa, located on the east side of the Emperor's Mosque in Sarajevo. The author, Fadil Pasha, was a calligrapher himself.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved on the gate during the 1766-7 renovation of the Havadza Kemaludin mosque in Sarajevo. It was written by the famous Sarajevo poet and calligrapher Sheikh Muhammad Effendi. This mosque was built in 1515 and was demolished by order of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1940.
The top piece is a Turkish-language stone inscription from 1885-6, carved during the renovation of the Gazi Iskender Pasha fountain in Sarajevo using Taliq Persian hanging script. The bottom piece is a Turkish-language stone inscription from 1780-1, carved during the renovation of a fountain in the courtyard of a Sufi lodge (tekke) in the Skenderija area of Sarajevo. It also uses Taliq Persian hanging script and was written by the local mufti, Sakir.
This stone monument, carved in 1740-1 to mark the passing of Sulejman-effendi Hadzimusic, records his contributions to the defense of Bosnia in 1737. It is an important historical record regarding the formation of the Bosniak nation. This stone was embedded in the wall of the mosque until the Kingdom of Yugoslavia demolished the mosque in 1940.
Bathhouse
The bathhouse (hamam) of Gazi Husrev Bey was built in 1537 and is located 300 meters northwest of the mosque. The southern part of the bathhouse has two symmetrical domed buildings, which served as the main halls for the men's and women's bathing areas. You can enter individual small rooms, each with its own dome, through the corridor and cloakroom on the north side. The bathhouse suffered fires twice, once during the Habsburg invasion in 1697 and again during the Austro-Hungarian invasion in 1879. It was rebuilt after these events, and what you see today is mostly how it looked after the 1891 renovation.
After being renovated in 2000, it became part of the Bosniak Institute. It frequently hosts cultural events like book launches, concerts, literary nights, and exhibitions.
The collection of the Adil Zulfikarpasic Foundation at the Bosniak Institute features exquisite wooden furniture crafted by Bosnian artisans between the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The art exhibition at the Bosniak Institute focuses on scenes of Sarajevo and Bosnia painted by 20th-century Bosnian artists.
A painting of a Bosnian street by Đoko Mazalić from 1920. He graduated from the Royal Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts in 1914 and helped establish the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was skilled at depicting Bosnian life and achieved great success in the Sarajevo cultural scene during the 1930s and 1940s.
A painting of Bosnian life by Rizah Štetić from 1952. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1932. He became the principal of the Sarajevo State School of Crafts in 1946 and later served as a painting professor at the National Academy of Fine Arts.
A painting of the Sarajevo Grand Bazaar by Kulenović Hakija. He graduated from the Belgrade Academy of Arts in 1928 and held an art exhibition in Sarajevo in 1932.
The Sarajevo bazaar painted by Rizah Štetić in 1956.
A work by the famous Bosnian artist Mersad Berber, who drew inspiration from the mysterious world of Bosnia, the layers of the Ottoman Empire, and the tragic fate of its people.
Morića Han caravanserai
Located on the northeast side of the Gazi Husrev Bey mosque is the Morića Han caravanserai, first built in 1551. It was rebuilt into its current form after a fire in 1697 and is the only remaining Ottoman caravanserai in Sarajevo. Morića Han could hold 300 guests and 70 horses. In 1878, Sarajevo citizens gathered here to form a people's committee to protest the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, it is still managed by the Ghazi Husrev-beg Foundation and houses a restaurant and a Persian carpet shop.
Bezistan covered market
On the west side of the Gazi Husrev Bey mosque is the Bezistan covered market, built in 1555. It is one of the best-preserved Ottoman covered markets in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The floor of the Bezistan market is slightly lower than the surrounding streets, which keeps the interior cooler during the summer. It was originally a general goods market and still serves as a space for shops today.
Tašli Han caravanserai ruins
To the west of the Bezistan covered market are the ruins of the Tašli Han caravanserai, built between 1540 and 1543. The courtyard of the inn had a fountain and a small prayer room, and many merchants opened shops there. A fire in 1879 caused severe damage, and it completely collapsed by 1912. The site was rebuilt as a hotel in 1998, and archaeological excavations rediscovered the foundation and parts of the walls of the original inn.
Clock tower
West of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque stands a clock tower built in the 16th century, though the current structure was rebuilt in the 18th century. This 30-meter-tall clock tower is the highest of the 21 clock towers built by the Ottoman Empire in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It follows the lunar calendar, setting 12 o'clock at sunset each day. A mosque official called a Muvekit, who tracks the lunar calendar and the five daily namaz prayers, is responsible for adjusting the clock. The current clock mechanism was made in 1875 by the London-based company Gillett & Johnston. The top of the tower was modified during installation to make sure the clock face was clearly visible.
Public Kitchen
Beneath the clock tower is a public kitchen (imaret) established in 1531. It was originally run by a foundation (waqf) to distribute free food to the poor. Today, it is a very famous bakery, and the fresh bread baked on-site is very popular with the locals. Their signature item is the Kifla bread, which costs 2 yuan each. It comes in various flavors and has a rich wheat aroma. Kifla is a small bread popular in Central Europe and the Balkans with a history spanning hundreds of years. The French croissant actually evolved from the Kifla.
Muslihudin Čekrekčija Mosque
The Muslihudin Čekrekčija Mosque is located in the commercial center of Sarajevo's old town and was built by Hajji Mustafa in 1526. The mosque keeps its original 1526 endowment deed (vakufnama), which is the oldest contract document in the city of Sarajevo.
The mosque survived many major fires in Sarajevo and also survived the 1697 looting of the city by the Holy League after they defeated the Ottoman Empire. Traditional arabesque patterns are still preserved inside today.
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Gazi Husrev Bey complex
Gazi Husrev Bey was the Ottoman governor (Sanjak-bey) of Bosnia from 1521 to 1541. During his rule, the Ottoman Empire continued to expand into Croatia and Hungary. He also funded many important buildings in Sarajevo and dedicated his wealth to supporting religious and educational institutions for the long term. The foundation (Wakof) established by Gazi Husrev Bey manages the mosque, public kitchen, hostel, Sufi lodge, madrasa, library, clock tower, mausoleum, inn, hospital, fountain, primary school, and many shops in the center of the Old Bazaar in Sarajevo, making it the most important building complex in the old city.
Mosque
When the adhan sounded, we rushed to the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque, the most important Friday mosque in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the core landmark of the Old Bazaar in Sarajevo and has been the city's central mosque since it was built in 1530. Important scenes from the movie 'Walter Defends Sarajevo,' well-known to Chinese audiences, were filmed here. It was also the first mosque in the world to have electricity and electric lights in 1898.
The Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque was designed and built by the Ottoman court architect Adzem Esir Ali, who came from Tabriz, Persia. He built many structures in Istanbul during the early 16th century and was one of the founders of the early Istanbul architectural school. The main hall is 13 meters long and 13 meters wide, with a central dome 26 meters high, achieving a perfect one-to-two ratio. The front porch consists of five small domes supported by four marble columns.
The interior paintings of the mosque were damaged by fire and later repainted in 1886 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in a Moorish Revival style. During the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque was hit by over 100 mortar shells, causing major damage, and was repaired after the ceasefire in 1996. During the restoration, the late 19th-century Austro-Hungarian paintings were removed, and new interior decorations were painted by Bosnian calligrapher Hazim Numanagić between 2001 and 2002.
The mosque's main gate is beautifully decorated with intricate marble and gilded carvings. The Arabic calligraphy on the door adds up to the number 938, which is the year the mosque was built according to the Islamic calendar (1530/31 AD).
The muezzin calls the adhan and responds to the imam from a platform called Müezzin Mahfili in Turkish or Dikka in Arabic, where people also recite the Quran during nights in Ramadan. Usually, only large mosques have a Dikka platform built across from the minbar pulpit. Before sound systems existed, not everyone could hear the imam leading the namaz, so the muezzin needed to stand on the platform to make sure everyone could hear.
The area inside the railing below the Dikka platform was once a place for high-ranking officials and royalty to pray, known as the Hünkâr Mahfili. In royal mosques, the Hünkâr Mahfili is usually an elevated platform, while in smaller ones, it is a railed area on the ground floor. Today, everyone can pray here, but the railing has been kept.
Fountain
In front of the main hall of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque is the Shadirvan fountain. This type of fountain used for drinking and performing wudu originated in Persia and later became a typical architectural element of the Ottoman Empire, usually placed in the center of courtyards in mosques, caravanserais, dervish lodges, and madrasas.
This Shadirvan fountain was first built in 1530, with water coming from the Crnilo spring 7 kilometers away through clay pipes connected to the city of Sarajevo. It was rebuilt in 1893, modeled after the fountain at the Great Mosque of Bursa in Turkey, and connected to a modern water supply system. The fountain was severely damaged during the war from 1992 to 1995 and was rebuilt to its original appearance in 1997. You can still see three water basins from the original fountain in the mosque courtyard today.
There is a drinking fountain for passersby along the wall in the northwest corner of the courtyard, a common sight in Ottoman cities.
Muwaqqithana
In the northwest corner of the mosque sits a small building from 1859 called the Muwaqqithana, where an astronomer known as a Muwaqqit used calculations to set the times for namaz and fasting. Early mosques mostly relied on a muezzin to watch shadow lengths and twilight to set prayer times. By the late 13th century, during the Mamluk dynasty in Egypt, specialized astronomers called Muwaqqit began to appear, and this practice gradually spread everywhere.
Mausoleum
Gazi Husrev Bey was born in 1480 to a Bosnian noble father and a mother who was the daughter of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II. He lost both parents when he was very young and grew up in the Ottoman court. He later earned many military honors and was appointed governor of Bosnia in 1521, becoming one of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's most trusted men.
In 1541, a noble uprising broke out in Montenegro. Gazi Husrev Bey fought several battles to maintain order in the region and was eventually killed in a small village. His body was returned to Sarajevo and buried next to the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque. The mausoleum of Gazi Husrev Bey is a typical 16th-century octagonal Ottoman tomb, which underwent repairs in 1895 and 2002.
Next to the tomb of Gazi Husrev Bey is a smaller octagonal mausoleum where his deputy, the Ottoman general Murat-beg Tardić, is buried. Murat-beg was Croatian. He became an Ottoman prisoner of war when he was young, later served under Gazi Husrev Bey, and became his close partner due to his outstanding military achievements. Murat-beg led several conquests against Croatia. In 1537, he completely crushed the military defenses of the Kingdom of Croatia, playing a major role in the westward expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Murat-beg died in 1545 and was buried next to the tomb of Gazi Husrev Bey.
Kursumlija Madrasa
On the north side of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque is the Kursumlija Madrasa, built by Gazi Husrev Bey in 1537 and dedicated to his mother, the Ottoman princess Selçuka. The madrasa consists of a courtyard with 12 classrooms, each featuring a fireplace and a dome, with a fountain for wudu in the center of the courtyard. After 2013, this site became the Gazi Husrev-beg Museum, which showcases his life, the foundation complex he established, and his contributions to the urban development of Sarajevo.
A 19th-century water jug used specifically to hold the mixed drink sharbat for Mawlid celebrations.
An ancient Quran copied in 1784 by Muhamed Filibevi from Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
A burial shroud for the 16th-century tomb of the Prophet, gifted to Bosnia and Herzegovina by Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz in 1867.
To the right of the madrasa is the Sufi lodge (khanqah), which is now a gallery, though it was closed when we visited.
Library
On the northwest side of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque is the Gazi Husrev Bey Library, founded in 1537 using the remaining funds from the construction of the madrasa. The library was originally part of the madrasa and did not have its own separate room until 1863. The library was forced to close after the Siege of Sarajevo began in 1992 and did not reopen until 2014. The new library was built with an 8.8 million dollar donation from Qatar. It houses over 100,000 manuscripts and books in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Bosnian, and other languages, covering fields like Islam, literature, philosophy, history, medicine, and astronomy.
As the library with the richest collection of Islamic books in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Gazi Husrev Bey Library has faced many trials over its nearly 500 years of operation, but the 1992-1995 Bosnian War was undoubtedly the most difficult. The aggressors made destroying the historical and cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina a key goal, especially targeting historical buildings that housed written records. Staff at the Gazi Husrev Bey Library risked their lives to successfully move tens of thousands of precious Islamic books to safety, making a huge contribution to saving Bosnian history and culture.
To preserve the books in the Gazi Husrev Bey Library, staff moved the book storage areas many times. In 1992, the library decided to move 21 packages containing the most precious manuscripts to the vault of the Privredna Bank. To avoid Serbian snipers on the streets, they packed the books in banana boxes, but they were then robbed by hungry civilians. Fortunately, the civilians let them go after discovering the boxes contained books instead of bananas. After many hardships, these books were finally saved until the end of the war.
The 63rd handwritten scripture by Hafiz Ibrahim Sehovic, completed in 1807. Hafiz Sehovic copied at least 66 Qurans in his lifetime, and the Gazi Husrev-beg Library holds four of them.
A handwritten scripture completed by Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Muhägir ad-Dagistani al-Makki in 1849.
A Quran selection (Juz') gifted by Ferhad-pasha Sokolovic in 1587 to a mosque in the city of Banja Luka in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A Quran selection (Juz') gifted by Mehmed-pasha Sokolovic in 1570 to a mosque in his birthplace in eastern Bosnia.
A handwritten scripture created by Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Hafiz as-Sirazi in 1572-73.
The Rose Garden (Gulistān) is a prose work written by the great Persian poet Saadi in 1258. This manuscript was annotated by the great 16th-century Bosnian classical literature critic Ahmed Sudi Bosnjak and copied by Ahmad b. al-hagg Husayn al-Mostari in 1765. Ahmed Sudi was born in eastern Bosnia and later lived in Istanbul for a long time. He was an expert in Persian literature and wrote a series of commentaries on Persian literary classics in Ottoman Turkish. These had a huge influence in the Ottoman Empire and were widely used by later Persian scholars and Western orientalists.
19th-century Arabic calligraphy art from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the second and third pieces collected from an old traditional wooden mosque in Bužim, northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A chandelier used in a mosque in the early 20th century.
Artifacts collected in the Gazi Husrev Bey Library.
Candlesticks formerly used in mosques and Sufi lodges (tekke) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A stone tablet from 1613 above the gate of the Haji Osman Mosque in the southeastern Bosnian city of Foča; this mosque was demolished in 1964.
This textbook on Hanafi jurisprudence was written in the 16th century and used for a long time in Ottoman madrasas. This specific copy dates back to the 17th century.
This Arabic-Turkish dictionary was compiled in the 16th century and contains 40,000 words. It was very popular in Bosnian madrasas, and this copy was made in 1631.
A work on Islamic law copied in Foča in the second half of the 16th century.
A manuscript of the Quran from 1474.
A cannon used in the 19th century during Ramadan to signal the start and end of the daily fast.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved in Naskh script during the 1763-4 renovation of the Hasan Pehlivan mosque in Sarajevo.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved in Naskh script during the 1780-1 renovation of the Haji-Omer fountain in front of the Emperor's Mosque in Sarajevo.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved in Naskh script during the 1553-4 renovation of the Mustafa Pasha mosque in the southeastern Bosnian city of Foča. This mosque was demolished in 1947.
An Arabic tombstone from the grave of Turhan Emin bey, who served as the Ottoman governor (sanjak-bey) of Herzegovina. His grave is in Ustikolina in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, the site of what was once the oldest mosque in the country. The turban carving at the top of the tombstone is a classic feature of Ottoman-era grave markers.
A Turkish-language commemorative stone inscription from 1857-8 on the Fadil Pasha madrasa, located on the east side of the Emperor's Mosque in Sarajevo. The author, Fadil Pasha, was a calligrapher himself.
A Turkish-language stone inscription carved on the gate during the 1766-7 renovation of the Havadza Kemaludin mosque in Sarajevo. It was written by the famous Sarajevo poet and calligrapher Sheikh Muhammad Effendi. This mosque was built in 1515 and was demolished by order of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1940.
The top piece is a Turkish-language stone inscription from 1885-6, carved during the renovation of the Gazi Iskender Pasha fountain in Sarajevo using Taliq Persian hanging script. The bottom piece is a Turkish-language stone inscription from 1780-1, carved during the renovation of a fountain in the courtyard of a Sufi lodge (tekke) in the Skenderija area of Sarajevo. It also uses Taliq Persian hanging script and was written by the local mufti, Sakir.
This stone monument, carved in 1740-1 to mark the passing of Sulejman-effendi Hadzimusic, records his contributions to the defense of Bosnia in 1737. It is an important historical record regarding the formation of the Bosniak nation. This stone was embedded in the wall of the mosque until the Kingdom of Yugoslavia demolished the mosque in 1940.
Bathhouse
The bathhouse (hamam) of Gazi Husrev Bey was built in 1537 and is located 300 meters northwest of the mosque. The southern part of the bathhouse has two symmetrical domed buildings, which served as the main halls for the men's and women's bathing areas. You can enter individual small rooms, each with its own dome, through the corridor and cloakroom on the north side. The bathhouse suffered fires twice, once during the Habsburg invasion in 1697 and again during the Austro-Hungarian invasion in 1879. It was rebuilt after these events, and what you see today is mostly how it looked after the 1891 renovation.
After being renovated in 2000, it became part of the Bosniak Institute. It frequently hosts cultural events like book launches, concerts, literary nights, and exhibitions.
The collection of the Adil Zulfikarpasic Foundation at the Bosniak Institute features exquisite wooden furniture crafted by Bosnian artisans between the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The art exhibition at the Bosniak Institute focuses on scenes of Sarajevo and Bosnia painted by 20th-century Bosnian artists.
A painting of a Bosnian street by Đoko Mazalić from 1920. He graduated from the Royal Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts in 1914 and helped establish the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was skilled at depicting Bosnian life and achieved great success in the Sarajevo cultural scene during the 1930s and 1940s.
A painting of Bosnian life by Rizah Štetić from 1952. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1932. He became the principal of the Sarajevo State School of Crafts in 1946 and later served as a painting professor at the National Academy of Fine Arts.
A painting of the Sarajevo Grand Bazaar by Kulenović Hakija. He graduated from the Belgrade Academy of Arts in 1928 and held an art exhibition in Sarajevo in 1932.
The Sarajevo bazaar painted by Rizah Štetić in 1956.
A work by the famous Bosnian artist Mersad Berber, who drew inspiration from the mysterious world of Bosnia, the layers of the Ottoman Empire, and the tragic fate of its people.
Morića Han caravanserai
Located on the northeast side of the Gazi Husrev Bey mosque is the Morića Han caravanserai, first built in 1551. It was rebuilt into its current form after a fire in 1697 and is the only remaining Ottoman caravanserai in Sarajevo. Morića Han could hold 300 guests and 70 horses. In 1878, Sarajevo citizens gathered here to form a people's committee to protest the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, it is still managed by the Ghazi Husrev-beg Foundation and houses a restaurant and a Persian carpet shop.
Bezistan covered market
On the west side of the Gazi Husrev Bey mosque is the Bezistan covered market, built in 1555. It is one of the best-preserved Ottoman covered markets in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The floor of the Bezistan market is slightly lower than the surrounding streets, which keeps the interior cooler during the summer. It was originally a general goods market and still serves as a space for shops today.
Tašli Han caravanserai ruins
To the west of the Bezistan covered market are the ruins of the Tašli Han caravanserai, built between 1540 and 1543. The courtyard of the inn had a fountain and a small prayer room, and many merchants opened shops there. A fire in 1879 caused severe damage, and it completely collapsed by 1912. The site was rebuilt as a hotel in 1998, and archaeological excavations rediscovered the foundation and parts of the walls of the original inn.
Clock tower
West of the Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque stands a clock tower built in the 16th century, though the current structure was rebuilt in the 18th century. This 30-meter-tall clock tower is the highest of the 21 clock towers built by the Ottoman Empire in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It follows the lunar calendar, setting 12 o'clock at sunset each day. A mosque official called a Muvekit, who tracks the lunar calendar and the five daily namaz prayers, is responsible for adjusting the clock. The current clock mechanism was made in 1875 by the London-based company Gillett & Johnston. The top of the tower was modified during installation to make sure the clock face was clearly visible.
Public Kitchen
Beneath the clock tower is a public kitchen (imaret) established in 1531. It was originally run by a foundation (waqf) to distribute free food to the poor. Today, it is a very famous bakery, and the fresh bread baked on-site is very popular with the locals. Their signature item is the Kifla bread, which costs 2 yuan each. It comes in various flavors and has a rich wheat aroma. Kifla is a small bread popular in Central Europe and the Balkans with a history spanning hundreds of years. The French croissant actually evolved from the Kifla.
Muslihudin Čekrekčija Mosque
The Muslihudin Čekrekčija Mosque is located in the commercial center of Sarajevo's old town and was built by Hajji Mustafa in 1526. The mosque keeps its original 1526 endowment deed (vakufnama), which is the oldest contract document in the city of Sarajevo.
The mosque survived many major fires in Sarajevo and also survived the 1697 looting of the city by the Holy League after they defeated the Ottoman Empire. Traditional arabesque patterns are still preserved inside today.
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Halal Travel Guide: Sarajevo - Ottoman Europe, Mosques and Bosniak History (Part 2)
Reposted from the web
Bascarsija Mosque
In the evening, I performed namaz at the Bascarsija Mosque (Baščaršijska džamija). The Bascarsija Mosque sits in the heart of the old bazaar in Sarajevo. Havadža Durak built it in the early 16th century, and the earliest manuscript mentioning the mosque dates back to 1528. The mosque originally had a wooden dome, but it was rebuilt with a stone dome after a fire in 1697. There is a porch with three small stone domes in front of the main hall. This was changed to a wooden roof in 1945, but it was restored to its original look in 1966. The mosque suffered heavy damage during the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, but it was later renovated.
Emperor's Mosque
The Emperor's Mosque was first built in 1457. It was the first mosque constructed after the Ottoman Empire conquered Bosnia. Isaković-Hranušić oversaw the building, which was dedicated to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The original mosque was a wooden structure. It was rebuilt in 1565 into the current classical Ottoman style and dedicated to the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Side rooms were added in 1800, and they were connected to the main hall in 1848.
The Emperor's Mosque was severely damaged twice, once during World War II and again during the Bosnian War, but it was repaired both times.
Magribija Mosque
Sheikh Magribija built the Magribija Mosque in the 15th century. Tradition says that Sheikh Magribija arrived in Sarajevo with Isa-beg, the Ottoman governor who founded the city. The original mosque building was destroyed by fire. The current structure was rebuilt in 1766 and keeps its 18th-century appearance and painted decorations. The mosque was badly damaged during the Bosnian War in 1992, leaving only the base of the minaret. It was rebuilt in 2000, and the roof and porch were repaired again in 2004.
Most mosques in Sarajevo keep their main halls locked outside of prayer times (namaz), so everyone prays on the platforms on either side of the doors. Because of this, I could not enter the main hall.
Ali Pasha Mosque
Ali Pasha Mosque was built in 1560-1561 by the Bosnian governor Ali Pasha, who was a local from Sarajevo. This is a single-domed mosque in the classical Ottoman style with beautiful architectural proportions. There used to be a large cemetery around the main hall, but it was turned into a park after tram tracks and roads were laid. A small ablution fountain was moved there in 1874. The mosque was severely damaged by shelling during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War and was renovated in 2004.
You can still see tombstones of victims from the 1993 Bosnian War next to the mosque today.
Ferhadija Mosque
I prayed the afternoon prayer (asr) at Ferhadija Mosque in the old town of Sarajevo. The imam was very young and wore an Ottoman fez hat.
Ferhadija Mosque was built by Ferhad-beg Vuković-Desisalić in 1561-1562. The neighborhood that formed around it is also called Ferhadija. The mosque originally had a school (mekteb), a public kitchen (imaret), a water station, and a fountain, but they were all destroyed in fires in 1879 and 1897. It is a typical classical Ottoman building with a central dome over a rectangular main hall and three small domes on the front porch.
Research on the interior paintings of the mosque in 1964-1965 revealed five layers of paint from different periods. The first layer is the oldest and most valuable, dating back to the original construction in the 16th century. It was found on the dome, pendentives, squinches, and mihrab, and is known as the Rumi decorative style. The second layer features floral decorations in the center of the mihrab and parts of the dome in an 18th-century style, while the third and fourth layers date from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Bakrbaba Mosque archaeological site
Archaeological site of the Bakrbaba Mosque, including the religious school (mekteb), primary school, and private quarters (harem).
The Bakrbaba Mosque was built in 1544 by the famous Sarajevo merchant Hajji-Alija Bakrbaba and featured a 30-meter-tall minaret at the time. In 1697, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the Holy League of Europe, and Sarajevo was looted and burned. The Bakrbaba Mosque was destroyed in the fire but was rebuilt in the early 18th century.
A primary school and private quarters were originally built on the west side of the mosque. In 1741/2, Hajji Ismail Misrija added a religious school and a cemetery on the east side of the courtyard. Shortly after, Abdulah Efendi Kantamirija built a library across the street, making this an important educational and cultural center in Sarajevo.
After the Austro-Hungarian Empire took control of Sarajevo in 1878, the mosque was first turned into a military warehouse and was finally demolished in 1895. The primary school next to the mosque was also destroyed in 1895, the library was destroyed in 1897, and the religious school remained until the beginning of World War II.
Since 2000, at the request of Islamic scholar Hajji Hafez Halid Efendi Hadžimulić, Sarajevo began archaeological research on the Bakrbaba Mosque complex. In 2009, the reconstruction of the Bakrbaba Mosque was funded by Husein Durman, a businessman from Bursa, Turkey, and it officially opened in 2011.
Brusa Bezistan covered market.
The Brusa Bezistan covered market is located in the Grand Bazaar of Sarajevo's Old Town. It was ordered to be built in 1551 by Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire and was named after Bursa, the old capital of the Ottoman Empire. This market has six domes. It originally sold silk, household goods, and small furniture. Today, it is the Sarajevo Museum, which displays precious artifacts from the Ottoman period.
The most eye-catching item in the museum is a large sand table that meticulously restores the appearance of Sarajevo's Old Town during the Ottoman period. You can see an Ottoman architectural complex consisting of mosques, clock towers, religious schools, dervish lodges (tekke), caravanserais, markets, tombs, and fountains.
The 19th-century noble clothing of Sarajevo Muslims collected in the museum is also very exquisite.
Lamp posts used in Sarajevo mosques during the 19th century.
Copper pots used by vendors selling boza (a fermented grain drink) or lemonade in the bazaar.
Food containers used in the past to bring lunch to shops.
On the left is a short knife engraved with the year 1872, and on the right is a long knife inlaid with gemstones. This type of knife requires the cooperation of a goldsmith (kujundzija) and a bladesmith (bicakcija) to complete.
Silk embroidery calligraphy from the 19th century.
A court verdict issued in 1869.
Old coffee pots and coffee cups.
Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija)
Climb up to the Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija) on the eastern outskirts of Sarajevo in the evening to get a panoramic view of the old town. Built between 1727 and 1739, the Yellow Fortress was a battery in the Sarajevo city walls and served as a key stronghold for the Ottoman Empire to defend Sarajevo against the Austro-Hungarian invasion in 1878.
Sarajevo did not have city walls for most of its history until Prince Eugene of the Habsburg Empire launched a devastating attack on the city in 1697, looting it and burning many buildings. The Ottoman Empire officially began building the city walls in 1727. Today, the Sarajevo city walls are located on the east side of the old town, with many gates and fortresses still preserved, the most famous of which are the Yellow Fortress and the White Fortress.
Mevlevi Sufi Lodge (tekke)
Below the Yellow Fortress sits a Mevlevi Sufi lodge (tekke), which was the first Sufi lodge in Sarajevo. The lodge was first built in 1462, destroyed during Prince Eugene's invasion of Sarajevo in 1697, and rebuilt in 1781. After the Austro-Hungarian Empire occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, they strictly prohibited the maintenance of the lodge. It was eventually demolished in 1957 during the Tito era of Yugoslavia, and the building we see today was rebuilt in 2013 with donations from Turkey.
Where East meets West
An interesting spot in Sarajevo's old town features a dividing line that separates two historic districts. To the east is the bazaar area built during the Ottoman period, and to the west is Ferhadija Street built during the Austro-Hungarian period. The city's appearance changes completely just by crossing the street. The bazaar area feels like Istanbul, and Ferhadija Street feels like Vienna. Standing on this line, you feel like you are at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures, and Islamic and Christian traditions. This is the unique charm of Sarajevo.
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Bascarsija Mosque
In the evening, I performed namaz at the Bascarsija Mosque (Baščaršijska džamija). The Bascarsija Mosque sits in the heart of the old bazaar in Sarajevo. Havadža Durak built it in the early 16th century, and the earliest manuscript mentioning the mosque dates back to 1528. The mosque originally had a wooden dome, but it was rebuilt with a stone dome after a fire in 1697. There is a porch with three small stone domes in front of the main hall. This was changed to a wooden roof in 1945, but it was restored to its original look in 1966. The mosque suffered heavy damage during the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, but it was later renovated.
Emperor's Mosque
The Emperor's Mosque was first built in 1457. It was the first mosque constructed after the Ottoman Empire conquered Bosnia. Isaković-Hranušić oversaw the building, which was dedicated to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The original mosque was a wooden structure. It was rebuilt in 1565 into the current classical Ottoman style and dedicated to the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Side rooms were added in 1800, and they were connected to the main hall in 1848.
The Emperor's Mosque was severely damaged twice, once during World War II and again during the Bosnian War, but it was repaired both times.
Magribija Mosque
Sheikh Magribija built the Magribija Mosque in the 15th century. Tradition says that Sheikh Magribija arrived in Sarajevo with Isa-beg, the Ottoman governor who founded the city. The original mosque building was destroyed by fire. The current structure was rebuilt in 1766 and keeps its 18th-century appearance and painted decorations. The mosque was badly damaged during the Bosnian War in 1992, leaving only the base of the minaret. It was rebuilt in 2000, and the roof and porch were repaired again in 2004.
Most mosques in Sarajevo keep their main halls locked outside of prayer times (namaz), so everyone prays on the platforms on either side of the doors. Because of this, I could not enter the main hall.
Ali Pasha Mosque
Ali Pasha Mosque was built in 1560-1561 by the Bosnian governor Ali Pasha, who was a local from Sarajevo. This is a single-domed mosque in the classical Ottoman style with beautiful architectural proportions. There used to be a large cemetery around the main hall, but it was turned into a park after tram tracks and roads were laid. A small ablution fountain was moved there in 1874. The mosque was severely damaged by shelling during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War and was renovated in 2004.
You can still see tombstones of victims from the 1993 Bosnian War next to the mosque today.
Ferhadija Mosque
I prayed the afternoon prayer (asr) at Ferhadija Mosque in the old town of Sarajevo. The imam was very young and wore an Ottoman fez hat.
Ferhadija Mosque was built by Ferhad-beg Vuković-Desisalić in 1561-1562. The neighborhood that formed around it is also called Ferhadija. The mosque originally had a school (mekteb), a public kitchen (imaret), a water station, and a fountain, but they were all destroyed in fires in 1879 and 1897. It is a typical classical Ottoman building with a central dome over a rectangular main hall and three small domes on the front porch.
Research on the interior paintings of the mosque in 1964-1965 revealed five layers of paint from different periods. The first layer is the oldest and most valuable, dating back to the original construction in the 16th century. It was found on the dome, pendentives, squinches, and mihrab, and is known as the Rumi decorative style. The second layer features floral decorations in the center of the mihrab and parts of the dome in an 18th-century style, while the third and fourth layers date from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Bakrbaba Mosque archaeological site
Archaeological site of the Bakrbaba Mosque, including the religious school (mekteb), primary school, and private quarters (harem).
The Bakrbaba Mosque was built in 1544 by the famous Sarajevo merchant Hajji-Alija Bakrbaba and featured a 30-meter-tall minaret at the time. In 1697, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the Holy League of Europe, and Sarajevo was looted and burned. The Bakrbaba Mosque was destroyed in the fire but was rebuilt in the early 18th century.
A primary school and private quarters were originally built on the west side of the mosque. In 1741/2, Hajji Ismail Misrija added a religious school and a cemetery on the east side of the courtyard. Shortly after, Abdulah Efendi Kantamirija built a library across the street, making this an important educational and cultural center in Sarajevo.
After the Austro-Hungarian Empire took control of Sarajevo in 1878, the mosque was first turned into a military warehouse and was finally demolished in 1895. The primary school next to the mosque was also destroyed in 1895, the library was destroyed in 1897, and the religious school remained until the beginning of World War II.
Since 2000, at the request of Islamic scholar Hajji Hafez Halid Efendi Hadžimulić, Sarajevo began archaeological research on the Bakrbaba Mosque complex. In 2009, the reconstruction of the Bakrbaba Mosque was funded by Husein Durman, a businessman from Bursa, Turkey, and it officially opened in 2011.
Brusa Bezistan covered market.
The Brusa Bezistan covered market is located in the Grand Bazaar of Sarajevo's Old Town. It was ordered to be built in 1551 by Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire and was named after Bursa, the old capital of the Ottoman Empire. This market has six domes. It originally sold silk, household goods, and small furniture. Today, it is the Sarajevo Museum, which displays precious artifacts from the Ottoman period.
The most eye-catching item in the museum is a large sand table that meticulously restores the appearance of Sarajevo's Old Town during the Ottoman period. You can see an Ottoman architectural complex consisting of mosques, clock towers, religious schools, dervish lodges (tekke), caravanserais, markets, tombs, and fountains.
The 19th-century noble clothing of Sarajevo Muslims collected in the museum is also very exquisite.
Lamp posts used in Sarajevo mosques during the 19th century.
Copper pots used by vendors selling boza (a fermented grain drink) or lemonade in the bazaar.
Food containers used in the past to bring lunch to shops.
On the left is a short knife engraved with the year 1872, and on the right is a long knife inlaid with gemstones. This type of knife requires the cooperation of a goldsmith (kujundzija) and a bladesmith (bicakcija) to complete.
Silk embroidery calligraphy from the 19th century.
A court verdict issued in 1869.
Old coffee pots and coffee cups.
Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija)
Climb up to the Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija) on the eastern outskirts of Sarajevo in the evening to get a panoramic view of the old town. Built between 1727 and 1739, the Yellow Fortress was a battery in the Sarajevo city walls and served as a key stronghold for the Ottoman Empire to defend Sarajevo against the Austro-Hungarian invasion in 1878.
Sarajevo did not have city walls for most of its history until Prince Eugene of the Habsburg Empire launched a devastating attack on the city in 1697, looting it and burning many buildings. The Ottoman Empire officially began building the city walls in 1727. Today, the Sarajevo city walls are located on the east side of the old town, with many gates and fortresses still preserved, the most famous of which are the Yellow Fortress and the White Fortress.
Mevlevi Sufi Lodge (tekke)
Below the Yellow Fortress sits a Mevlevi Sufi lodge (tekke), which was the first Sufi lodge in Sarajevo. The lodge was first built in 1462, destroyed during Prince Eugene's invasion of Sarajevo in 1697, and rebuilt in 1781. After the Austro-Hungarian Empire occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, they strictly prohibited the maintenance of the lodge. It was eventually demolished in 1957 during the Tito era of Yugoslavia, and the building we see today was rebuilt in 2013 with donations from Turkey.
Where East meets West
An interesting spot in Sarajevo's old town features a dividing line that separates two historic districts. To the east is the bazaar area built during the Ottoman period, and to the west is Ferhadija Street built during the Austro-Hungarian period. The city's appearance changes completely just by crossing the street. The bazaar area feels like Istanbul, and Ferhadija Street feels like Vienna. Standing on this line, you feel like you are at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures, and Islamic and Christian traditions. This is the unique charm of Sarajevo.
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Halal Travel Guide: Sarajevo - Bosniak Life Under Ottoman Rule
Reposted from the web
The most interesting gallery at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina recreates the life of Bosniaks during the 19th-century Ottoman rule.
The first scene shows a Bey and his wife, who belonged to the wealthiest social class in Ottoman-ruled Bosnia. Bey is a Turkic title for a chieftain. During the middle and late Ottoman period, military officers and officials one rank below a Pasha were also called Bey. The Bey's wife in the exhibit wears an expensive dress embroidered with gold thread, and the exquisite ceiling comes from the famous Sabura family of coppersmiths in Sarajevo.
The second scene shows a court meeting in Ottoman-ruled Bosnia. In the center sits a judge (Kadi) with books of Islamic law placed in front of him. Among the four jury members beside him, one is an Orthodox village head from Herzegovina, one is a Sephardic Jewish rabbi representing the interests of Jewish merchants, and the other two are a Muslim Bey and a Janissary Agha representing the interests of the artisans' guild. The ornately decorated ceiling in the room comes from the Hadzirustembegovic family in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, dating back to the 19th century.
The third scene shows two ladies embroidering on a bay window terrace, with wood carvings from the famous Sabura coppersmith family of Sarajevo. This type of bay window is called a Kameriya in Bosnia. Ladies could look out at the scenery through the window grilles, and they often made their wedding dowries here. These wedding clothes were kept in a special wooden chest decorated with beautiful flower and bird patterns.
The fourth scene shows a middle-class merchant family eating. They sit around a low round table (sinija) with a copper tray (demirlija) for serving food, and the fine wood carvings on the ceiling and cabinets also come from the Sabura family.
The fifth scene shows a young man courting a girl outside her window. This was a common way for young Bosniaks to communicate in the 19th century with their parents' knowledge. The wood carvings in the room come from the residence of Derviš-bey Kršlak in Jajce, central Bosnia.
Finally, here are two more exquisite 19th-century Bosniak garments with gold thread embroidery.
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The most interesting gallery at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina recreates the life of Bosniaks during the 19th-century Ottoman rule.
The first scene shows a Bey and his wife, who belonged to the wealthiest social class in Ottoman-ruled Bosnia. Bey is a Turkic title for a chieftain. During the middle and late Ottoman period, military officers and officials one rank below a Pasha were also called Bey. The Bey's wife in the exhibit wears an expensive dress embroidered with gold thread, and the exquisite ceiling comes from the famous Sabura family of coppersmiths in Sarajevo.
The second scene shows a court meeting in Ottoman-ruled Bosnia. In the center sits a judge (Kadi) with books of Islamic law placed in front of him. Among the four jury members beside him, one is an Orthodox village head from Herzegovina, one is a Sephardic Jewish rabbi representing the interests of Jewish merchants, and the other two are a Muslim Bey and a Janissary Agha representing the interests of the artisans' guild. The ornately decorated ceiling in the room comes from the Hadzirustembegovic family in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, dating back to the 19th century.
The third scene shows two ladies embroidering on a bay window terrace, with wood carvings from the famous Sabura coppersmith family of Sarajevo. This type of bay window is called a Kameriya in Bosnia. Ladies could look out at the scenery through the window grilles, and they often made their wedding dowries here. These wedding clothes were kept in a special wooden chest decorated with beautiful flower and bird patterns.
The fourth scene shows a middle-class merchant family eating. They sit around a low round table (sinija) with a copper tray (demirlija) for serving food, and the fine wood carvings on the ceiling and cabinets also come from the Sabura family.
The fifth scene shows a young man courting a girl outside her window. This was a common way for young Bosniaks to communicate in the 19th century with their parents' knowledge. The wood carvings in the room come from the residence of Derviš-bey Kršlak in Jajce, central Bosnia.
Finally, here are two more exquisite 19th-century Bosniak garments with gold thread embroidery.
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Halal Travel Guide: Cairo - Tomb of Iran Last Shah and Modern History
Reposted from the web
After the Iranian Islamic Revolution broke out in 1979, the last king, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, went into exile. He traveled through Egypt, Morocco, and Mexico, and later received cancer treatment in the United States and Panama. In 1980, Pahlavi went to Cairo, Egypt, for emergency surgery. He developed an infection during the removal of his spleen and passed away on July 27, 1980. Before falling into a coma, the king repeated over and over, 'Iran is Iran.'
The Egyptian president held a state funeral for King Pahlavi and buried him in the Al-Rifa'i mosque in Cairo.
Besides Pahlavi, another exiled king buried in the Al-Rifa'i mosque is Egypt's last actual ruling king, Farouk (Fārūq al-Awwal, reigned 1936-1952). He was the tenth ruler of Egypt's Muhammad Ali dynasty. Muhammad Ali was originally an Albanian officer in the Ottoman Empire. He was sent to Egypt to repel Napoleon's army, became the governor of Egypt in 1805, and established the Muhammad Ali dynasty, which was effectively independent from the Ottoman Empire.
King Farouk loved overeating and stealing. He was known for his luxurious lifestyle and political incompetence, and he failed to stop Israel from expelling Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. These factors eventually led to King Farouk being overthrown in a 1952 coup. He was forced to abdicate and went into exile in Italy. One year later, in 1953, Egypt officially became a republic, ending the 148-year rule of the Muhammad Ali dynasty.
After his exile, Farouk chose to settle in Rome. He rented a huge estate on the outskirts of Rome and spent his time gambling and socializing in nightclubs, earning him the nickname 'Night King'. In 1965, Farouk collapsed in a restaurant in Rome after eating oysters and lamb. He died shortly after, and the cause of death remains unknown.
According to his will, Farouk wanted to be buried in the Al-Rifa'i mosque in Cairo, but Egypt refused. He was then secretly buried in the Muhammad Ali royal tomb in a cemetery south of Cairo. It was not until 1970, when Muhammad Anwar Sadat became president of Egypt, that Farouk was finally buried in the Al-Rifa'i mosque.
Rifaʽi is a Sufi order founded in Iraq in the 12th century, with a wide presence in Egypt and Syria. The Al-Rifa'i mosque in Cairo is named after Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i, the grandson of the order's founder, Ahmad al-Rifa'i, who is buried there. This place was originally a Sufi lodge. Between 1869 and 1912, it was rebuilt by Egypt's Muhammad Ali dynasty into the current grand mosque, which houses the remains of many Egyptian royals, including several kings.
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After the Iranian Islamic Revolution broke out in 1979, the last king, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, went into exile. He traveled through Egypt, Morocco, and Mexico, and later received cancer treatment in the United States and Panama. In 1980, Pahlavi went to Cairo, Egypt, for emergency surgery. He developed an infection during the removal of his spleen and passed away on July 27, 1980. Before falling into a coma, the king repeated over and over, 'Iran is Iran.'
The Egyptian president held a state funeral for King Pahlavi and buried him in the Al-Rifa'i mosque in Cairo.
Besides Pahlavi, another exiled king buried in the Al-Rifa'i mosque is Egypt's last actual ruling king, Farouk (Fārūq al-Awwal, reigned 1936-1952). He was the tenth ruler of Egypt's Muhammad Ali dynasty. Muhammad Ali was originally an Albanian officer in the Ottoman Empire. He was sent to Egypt to repel Napoleon's army, became the governor of Egypt in 1805, and established the Muhammad Ali dynasty, which was effectively independent from the Ottoman Empire.
King Farouk loved overeating and stealing. He was known for his luxurious lifestyle and political incompetence, and he failed to stop Israel from expelling Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. These factors eventually led to King Farouk being overthrown in a 1952 coup. He was forced to abdicate and went into exile in Italy. One year later, in 1953, Egypt officially became a republic, ending the 148-year rule of the Muhammad Ali dynasty.
After his exile, Farouk chose to settle in Rome. He rented a huge estate on the outskirts of Rome and spent his time gambling and socializing in nightclubs, earning him the nickname 'Night King'. In 1965, Farouk collapsed in a restaurant in Rome after eating oysters and lamb. He died shortly after, and the cause of death remains unknown.
According to his will, Farouk wanted to be buried in the Al-Rifa'i mosque in Cairo, but Egypt refused. He was then secretly buried in the Muhammad Ali royal tomb in a cemetery south of Cairo. It was not until 1970, when Muhammad Anwar Sadat became president of Egypt, that Farouk was finally buried in the Al-Rifa'i mosque.
Rifaʽi is a Sufi order founded in Iraq in the 12th century, with a wide presence in Egypt and Syria. The Al-Rifa'i mosque in Cairo is named after Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i, the grandson of the order's founder, Ahmad al-Rifa'i, who is buried there. This place was originally a Sufi lodge. Between 1869 and 1912, it was rebuilt by Egypt's Muhammad Ali dynasty into the current grand mosque, which houses the remains of many Egyptian royals, including several kings.
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Halal Travel Guide: Beirut - Lebanon Capital, Mosques and City Life
Reposted from the web
We flew from Istanbul to Beirut, dropped our bags at the hotel, and headed straight to Downtown Beirut. After the 2020 explosion, the military took over this area. The once-busy streets are now almost empty, like a ghost town. Roadblocks guard every entrance, soldiers stand watch, and windows and doors are shattered. The Beirut Souks shopping district, once packed with people, has almost no open shops and only a few people walking around.
After the Lebanese Civil War began in 1975, downtown Beirut became a no-man's-land known as the Green Line. It suffered heavy damage and reconstruction did not start until 1994. Because of political instability, the rebuilding took many years, and the Beirut Souks shopping district did not officially open until 2009.
At the entrance to the Beirut Souks stands the Zawiyat Ibn Arraq, the only remaining Mamluk-era building in Beirut. Religious authority Ibn 'Arraq Al-Dimashqi from Damascus built this structure in 1517, originally as a hospice. After Ibn 'Arraq passed away in 1526, the site became a school for Islamic law and a zawiya (small Sufi lodge) for his followers. The remaining vaulted building once connected to other courtyards and rooms.
In the evening, I went to the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri funded this mosque, which was built in the Ottoman style between 2002 and 2008. It is currently the largest mosque in Lebanon.
This is a Sunni mosque, and there were not many people there for namaz. I chatted with an older man for a while. He said the Sunni community in Beirut is not strong enough and suggested I visit Tripoli in the north, calling it a powerful Sunni city. In fact, Lebanon's Sunni population is mainly concentrated in the north, led by Tripoli, and in the eastern Bekaa Valley. In the capital, Beirut, the northwest is mainly Sunni, the southwest is mainly Shia, and the east is mainly Christian. During the civil war, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque stood near the dividing line between the Muslim and Christian quarters. This dividing line was called the Green Line because weeds and trees grew over it when no one lived there during the war. It was once full of militia checkpoints and snipers, and many buildings were severely damaged.
After we came down from the prayer hall, Zainab happened to be interviewed by a local reporter, which was quite a special experience.
Guided by the reporter, we went to the Mawlid carnival held in the basement of the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque. This was my first time attending such a colorful Mawlid event abroad. The stalls inside were dazzling and diverse. There were children singing praises to the Prophet, educational games, introductions to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Arabic calligraphy displays, and various traditional snacks. The children were having so much fun they did not want to leave.
I did not expect to encounter such a magical scene on my first night in Lebanon. Upstairs was a deserted ghost town, while downstairs was a lively Mawlid celebration. It felt like a glimpse into the current state of a conflicted Lebanon.
After leaving the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, we went to the nearby Emir Assaf Mosque to participate in the praise of the Prophet, which was also part of the Mawlid activities. Twelve men in formal attire sat on the east side of the main hall, chanting praises to the Prophet in unison, with drums accompanying some of the passages. Their voices were deep, loud, and very powerful.
The Emir Assaf Mosque was built in the late 16th century by the Emir rulers of the local Lebanese Assaf dynasty (1306-1591). The Emir's palace and gardens once stood next to the mosque.
The Assaf dynasty was a Sunni Turkmen dynasty. In 1306, the Turkmen tribe led by the Assaf family was sent by the Mamluk governor of Damascus to suppress a rebellion north of Beirut. Later, the Mamluk dynasty appointed them to guard the coastal area north of Beirut and manage the local Shia residents. After the Ottoman Empire seized the Levant from the Mamluk dynasty in 1516, they appointed the Assaf family as the main agents for the Beirut and Tripoli regions. The Assaf dynasty attracted Maronite Christians to settle in northern Beirut by lowering taxes and housing prices to balance the local Sunni and Shia populations. In 1579, the Ottoman Empire established the Tripoli Eyalet to keep the Assaf dynasty in check. In 1591, the last Assaf Emir was shot to death on the orders of the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, marking the end of the Assaf dynasty.
I performed the night prayer (isha) at the Great Mosque of Al-Omari next to the Emir Assaf Mosque. There were very few people inside, and it felt as if time had stood still.
The Great Mosque of Al-Omari was reportedly founded in 635 during the reign of Caliph Umar, and in 1150, the Crusaders built a Romanesque Church of St. John here. After the Mamluk dynasty captured Tripoli in 1291, they converted it into a grand mosque, and in 1350, they added a Mamluk-style gate and minaret. During the French mandate of Lebanon from 1923 to 1946, the street-facing facade of the Great Mosque of Al-Omari was redesigned to match the architectural style of downtown Beirut, and a portico was added. The Great Mosque of Al-Omari suffered severe damage during the Lebanese Civil War, and renovations were completed in 2004.
I had dinner at T-Marbouta, a famous local restaurant in the Hamra district of Beirut. I ordered kibbeh mloukiyeh, hommos moutammam, and grilled meat, and drank herbal tea and mint tea. Kibbeh is a fried ball made of cracked wheat and minced lamb, a classic appetizer in the Levant region. The one I ate was topped with mloukiyeh (jute leaves), eggplant, walnuts, and pomegranate. Hommos is another classic Levantine appetizer made of mashed chickpeas.
Hamra is a lively and trendy neighborhood in Beirut near the American University. It is full of young people and has long been the cultural center of Beirut. The environment here is relatively nice, making it a good place for shopping in Beirut.
I stayed at the Serenada Golden Palace hotel in the heart of the Hamra district during this trip to Beirut. The hotel lobby is gorgeous and classic, reminding people of the prosperity and beauty of Beirut in the past. At the same time, opening the window in my room reveals buildings damaged by war, which immediately pulls you back to reality.
The hotel breakfast is quite rich, with all kinds of cheeses and a variety of fruits and vegetables, making it very healthy.
Compared to the empty downtown area of Beirut, the seaside promenade to the north is very lively. The Zaitunay Bay area, in particular, is full of cafes and Western-style restaurants, where many young people take photos and drink coffee. The Beirut Corniche was first built in the 1920s during the French Mandate. To boost tourism, the French expanded the seaside embankment into a wide walkway, planted palm trees, and built several chic hotels.
The most famous spot on the Corniche is the legendary St. Georges Hotel (Hotel St. Georges) shown in picture 3, which became a landmark of the Beirut waterfront after the French built it in 1934. The hotel was in its prime from the 1960s to the early 1970s, hosting many celebrities including film stars Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as King Hussein of Jordan and the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The hotel closed when the civil war began in 1975, and soon after, intense fighting known as the 'Battle of the Hotels' broke out as various factions fought for control, leaving the building severely damaged; the Syrian army later occupied it until 1990. Lebanon began rebuilding downtown Beirut in 1994, but restoration work on the hotel stalled for years due to conflicts between the construction company and the owners; just as repairs started in 2005, the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri occurred, and a bomb blast in front of the hotel caused heavy damage, causing work to stop again. Today, the St. Georges Yacht Club operates the hotel's outdoor restaurant and swimming pool, but the hotel building remains empty, keeping its war-torn appearance.
Continuing west is Paris Avenue, lined with tall palm trees, where many people walk or jog by the Mediterranean Sea, and others relax while smoking shisha. During the civil war, this area was buried under piles of trash and called the 'Normandy Dump,' but post-war reconstruction has restored the Corniche landscape. Even now, you can still imagine the intensity of the war by looking at some of the palm trees that are still covered in bullet holes.
Fast food in the Hamra district of Lebanon, where I had steak and fried chicken. There are many young people here and a wide variety of restaurants, including Chinese and Japanese food. Because the power supply is unstable, shops here suddenly go dark from time to time, but everyone except us stays very calm, waiting for the power to come back on by itself. I think it must be hard to use a desktop computer without a battery in Beirut, so everyone definitely chooses laptops.
I ate at Zaatar w Zeit, a famous Lebanese fast-food chain in the Hamra district, which specializes in Levantine-style flatbread (manakish) and serves very healthy food.
Manakish is a traditional bread that originated with the ancient Phoenicians; it can be topped with a spice blend (zaatar), cheese, or minced lamb. We ate the kind with zaatar, a unique mix of thyme, sumac, oregano, marjoram, and sesame seeds.
We also drank Lebanese coffee made from Arabica coffee beans and seasoned with cardamom. Arabica coffee is the first cultivated coffee variety. Its natural population is limited to southern Ethiopia and Yemen, where it plays an important role in Sufi practice. Yemeni Sufis use Arabica coffee to focus their minds during dhikr ceremonies and drink it to stay awake during night-time meditation. In the 15th century, coffee spread from the port of Mocha in Yemen to Egypt and Mecca, and soon reached the Levant under the Mamluk Sultanate.
Most early coffee-drinking Muslims were Sufis, while conservative orthodox scholars long rejected it because of its stimulating effects. In 1524, the Grand Mufti of the Ottoman Empire officially issued a fatwa allowing coffee consumption, and Arabica coffee quickly became popular across the Middle East.
We spent the evening drinking coffee at the legendary Younes Coffee in the Hamra district of Beirut. The founder of Younes Coffee, Amin Younes Sr., immigrated to Brazil in 1894 and worked on a Brazilian coffee tycoon's plantation for 20 years. Amin returned to Lebanon in 1935 and opened the first Younes Coffee in downtown Beirut. During World War II, the Lebanese currency crashed and wiped out most of Amin's savings, but he managed to pull through. In 1960, Amin's son Souheil joined the family business and helped his father open the first Younes Coffee branch in the Hamra district, which was one of the first cafes in Lebanon to buy an espresso machine. The original Younes Coffee in downtown Beirut was destroyed during the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, leaving only the Hamra branch.
Abou Anwar worked at Younes Coffee for 60 years starting in 1954. He was the cafe's most senior master roaster, and his expert roasting skills attracted a large group of loyal customers. The coffee I ordered was the Abou Anwar Blend, named after him and mixed with his favorite fruits and spices.
I also made the classic trip to see the sunset at Pigeon Rocks, the most famous landmark in Beirut. I want to start by saying how kind the people we met in Beirut were. First, a Palestinian refugee grandmother offered us grapes. Then, on our way to Pigeon Rocks, a fellow Muslim (dosti) kindly showed us the way. The dosti even took us on a bus to find the right spot to wait for the bus to Pigeon Rocks. Lebanese buses do not have bus stops, so you can just wave one down anywhere along the road. Our dosti seemed more worried about the bus than we were. He waited with us and only waved goodbye after he made sure we were on the bus. He did not ask for a single cent. This dosti was the complete opposite of the tricycle driver who tried to rip us off on the way to the ancient city of Anjar.
There is a row of cafes next to Pigeon Rocks. From the Bay Rock Cafe in the south to the Starbucks in the north, they are all classic spots to watch the sunset. Even though many people post about this place online, it was not actually very crowded in the cafes. It was very relaxing. We ordered two juices and a salad at the Bay Rock Cafe and spent a romantic and wonderful evening there.
Supermarkets in downtown Beirut have all kinds of olives. They sell meat together with side dishes here, which feels very convenient.
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We flew from Istanbul to Beirut, dropped our bags at the hotel, and headed straight to Downtown Beirut. After the 2020 explosion, the military took over this area. The once-busy streets are now almost empty, like a ghost town. Roadblocks guard every entrance, soldiers stand watch, and windows and doors are shattered. The Beirut Souks shopping district, once packed with people, has almost no open shops and only a few people walking around.
After the Lebanese Civil War began in 1975, downtown Beirut became a no-man's-land known as the Green Line. It suffered heavy damage and reconstruction did not start until 1994. Because of political instability, the rebuilding took many years, and the Beirut Souks shopping district did not officially open until 2009.
At the entrance to the Beirut Souks stands the Zawiyat Ibn Arraq, the only remaining Mamluk-era building in Beirut. Religious authority Ibn 'Arraq Al-Dimashqi from Damascus built this structure in 1517, originally as a hospice. After Ibn 'Arraq passed away in 1526, the site became a school for Islamic law and a zawiya (small Sufi lodge) for his followers. The remaining vaulted building once connected to other courtyards and rooms.
In the evening, I went to the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri funded this mosque, which was built in the Ottoman style between 2002 and 2008. It is currently the largest mosque in Lebanon.
This is a Sunni mosque, and there were not many people there for namaz. I chatted with an older man for a while. He said the Sunni community in Beirut is not strong enough and suggested I visit Tripoli in the north, calling it a powerful Sunni city. In fact, Lebanon's Sunni population is mainly concentrated in the north, led by Tripoli, and in the eastern Bekaa Valley. In the capital, Beirut, the northwest is mainly Sunni, the southwest is mainly Shia, and the east is mainly Christian. During the civil war, the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque stood near the dividing line between the Muslim and Christian quarters. This dividing line was called the Green Line because weeds and trees grew over it when no one lived there during the war. It was once full of militia checkpoints and snipers, and many buildings were severely damaged.
After we came down from the prayer hall, Zainab happened to be interviewed by a local reporter, which was quite a special experience.
Guided by the reporter, we went to the Mawlid carnival held in the basement of the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque. This was my first time attending such a colorful Mawlid event abroad. The stalls inside were dazzling and diverse. There were children singing praises to the Prophet, educational games, introductions to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Arabic calligraphy displays, and various traditional snacks. The children were having so much fun they did not want to leave.
I did not expect to encounter such a magical scene on my first night in Lebanon. Upstairs was a deserted ghost town, while downstairs was a lively Mawlid celebration. It felt like a glimpse into the current state of a conflicted Lebanon.
After leaving the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, we went to the nearby Emir Assaf Mosque to participate in the praise of the Prophet, which was also part of the Mawlid activities. Twelve men in formal attire sat on the east side of the main hall, chanting praises to the Prophet in unison, with drums accompanying some of the passages. Their voices were deep, loud, and very powerful.
The Emir Assaf Mosque was built in the late 16th century by the Emir rulers of the local Lebanese Assaf dynasty (1306-1591). The Emir's palace and gardens once stood next to the mosque.
The Assaf dynasty was a Sunni Turkmen dynasty. In 1306, the Turkmen tribe led by the Assaf family was sent by the Mamluk governor of Damascus to suppress a rebellion north of Beirut. Later, the Mamluk dynasty appointed them to guard the coastal area north of Beirut and manage the local Shia residents. After the Ottoman Empire seized the Levant from the Mamluk dynasty in 1516, they appointed the Assaf family as the main agents for the Beirut and Tripoli regions. The Assaf dynasty attracted Maronite Christians to settle in northern Beirut by lowering taxes and housing prices to balance the local Sunni and Shia populations. In 1579, the Ottoman Empire established the Tripoli Eyalet to keep the Assaf dynasty in check. In 1591, the last Assaf Emir was shot to death on the orders of the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, marking the end of the Assaf dynasty.
I performed the night prayer (isha) at the Great Mosque of Al-Omari next to the Emir Assaf Mosque. There were very few people inside, and it felt as if time had stood still.
The Great Mosque of Al-Omari was reportedly founded in 635 during the reign of Caliph Umar, and in 1150, the Crusaders built a Romanesque Church of St. John here. After the Mamluk dynasty captured Tripoli in 1291, they converted it into a grand mosque, and in 1350, they added a Mamluk-style gate and minaret. During the French mandate of Lebanon from 1923 to 1946, the street-facing facade of the Great Mosque of Al-Omari was redesigned to match the architectural style of downtown Beirut, and a portico was added. The Great Mosque of Al-Omari suffered severe damage during the Lebanese Civil War, and renovations were completed in 2004.
I had dinner at T-Marbouta, a famous local restaurant in the Hamra district of Beirut. I ordered kibbeh mloukiyeh, hommos moutammam, and grilled meat, and drank herbal tea and mint tea. Kibbeh is a fried ball made of cracked wheat and minced lamb, a classic appetizer in the Levant region. The one I ate was topped with mloukiyeh (jute leaves), eggplant, walnuts, and pomegranate. Hommos is another classic Levantine appetizer made of mashed chickpeas.
Hamra is a lively and trendy neighborhood in Beirut near the American University. It is full of young people and has long been the cultural center of Beirut. The environment here is relatively nice, making it a good place for shopping in Beirut.
I stayed at the Serenada Golden Palace hotel in the heart of the Hamra district during this trip to Beirut. The hotel lobby is gorgeous and classic, reminding people of the prosperity and beauty of Beirut in the past. At the same time, opening the window in my room reveals buildings damaged by war, which immediately pulls you back to reality.
The hotel breakfast is quite rich, with all kinds of cheeses and a variety of fruits and vegetables, making it very healthy.
Compared to the empty downtown area of Beirut, the seaside promenade to the north is very lively. The Zaitunay Bay area, in particular, is full of cafes and Western-style restaurants, where many young people take photos and drink coffee. The Beirut Corniche was first built in the 1920s during the French Mandate. To boost tourism, the French expanded the seaside embankment into a wide walkway, planted palm trees, and built several chic hotels.
The most famous spot on the Corniche is the legendary St. Georges Hotel (Hotel St. Georges) shown in picture 3, which became a landmark of the Beirut waterfront after the French built it in 1934. The hotel was in its prime from the 1960s to the early 1970s, hosting many celebrities including film stars Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as King Hussein of Jordan and the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The hotel closed when the civil war began in 1975, and soon after, intense fighting known as the 'Battle of the Hotels' broke out as various factions fought for control, leaving the building severely damaged; the Syrian army later occupied it until 1990. Lebanon began rebuilding downtown Beirut in 1994, but restoration work on the hotel stalled for years due to conflicts between the construction company and the owners; just as repairs started in 2005, the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri occurred, and a bomb blast in front of the hotel caused heavy damage, causing work to stop again. Today, the St. Georges Yacht Club operates the hotel's outdoor restaurant and swimming pool, but the hotel building remains empty, keeping its war-torn appearance.
Continuing west is Paris Avenue, lined with tall palm trees, where many people walk or jog by the Mediterranean Sea, and others relax while smoking shisha. During the civil war, this area was buried under piles of trash and called the 'Normandy Dump,' but post-war reconstruction has restored the Corniche landscape. Even now, you can still imagine the intensity of the war by looking at some of the palm trees that are still covered in bullet holes.
Fast food in the Hamra district of Lebanon, where I had steak and fried chicken. There are many young people here and a wide variety of restaurants, including Chinese and Japanese food. Because the power supply is unstable, shops here suddenly go dark from time to time, but everyone except us stays very calm, waiting for the power to come back on by itself. I think it must be hard to use a desktop computer without a battery in Beirut, so everyone definitely chooses laptops.
I ate at Zaatar w Zeit, a famous Lebanese fast-food chain in the Hamra district, which specializes in Levantine-style flatbread (manakish) and serves very healthy food.
Manakish is a traditional bread that originated with the ancient Phoenicians; it can be topped with a spice blend (zaatar), cheese, or minced lamb. We ate the kind with zaatar, a unique mix of thyme, sumac, oregano, marjoram, and sesame seeds.
We also drank Lebanese coffee made from Arabica coffee beans and seasoned with cardamom. Arabica coffee is the first cultivated coffee variety. Its natural population is limited to southern Ethiopia and Yemen, where it plays an important role in Sufi practice. Yemeni Sufis use Arabica coffee to focus their minds during dhikr ceremonies and drink it to stay awake during night-time meditation. In the 15th century, coffee spread from the port of Mocha in Yemen to Egypt and Mecca, and soon reached the Levant under the Mamluk Sultanate.
Most early coffee-drinking Muslims were Sufis, while conservative orthodox scholars long rejected it because of its stimulating effects. In 1524, the Grand Mufti of the Ottoman Empire officially issued a fatwa allowing coffee consumption, and Arabica coffee quickly became popular across the Middle East.
We spent the evening drinking coffee at the legendary Younes Coffee in the Hamra district of Beirut. The founder of Younes Coffee, Amin Younes Sr., immigrated to Brazil in 1894 and worked on a Brazilian coffee tycoon's plantation for 20 years. Amin returned to Lebanon in 1935 and opened the first Younes Coffee in downtown Beirut. During World War II, the Lebanese currency crashed and wiped out most of Amin's savings, but he managed to pull through. In 1960, Amin's son Souheil joined the family business and helped his father open the first Younes Coffee branch in the Hamra district, which was one of the first cafes in Lebanon to buy an espresso machine. The original Younes Coffee in downtown Beirut was destroyed during the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, leaving only the Hamra branch.
Abou Anwar worked at Younes Coffee for 60 years starting in 1954. He was the cafe's most senior master roaster, and his expert roasting skills attracted a large group of loyal customers. The coffee I ordered was the Abou Anwar Blend, named after him and mixed with his favorite fruits and spices.
I also made the classic trip to see the sunset at Pigeon Rocks, the most famous landmark in Beirut. I want to start by saying how kind the people we met in Beirut were. First, a Palestinian refugee grandmother offered us grapes. Then, on our way to Pigeon Rocks, a fellow Muslim (dosti) kindly showed us the way. The dosti even took us on a bus to find the right spot to wait for the bus to Pigeon Rocks. Lebanese buses do not have bus stops, so you can just wave one down anywhere along the road. Our dosti seemed more worried about the bus than we were. He waited with us and only waved goodbye after he made sure we were on the bus. He did not ask for a single cent. This dosti was the complete opposite of the tricycle driver who tried to rip us off on the way to the ancient city of Anjar.
There is a row of cafes next to Pigeon Rocks. From the Bay Rock Cafe in the south to the Starbucks in the north, they are all classic spots to watch the sunset. Even though many people post about this place online, it was not actually very crowded in the cafes. It was very relaxing. We ordered two juices and a salad at the Bay Rock Cafe and spent a romantic and wonderful evening there.
Supermarkets in downtown Beirut have all kinds of olives. They sell meat together with side dishes here, which feels very convenient.
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Halal Travel Guide: Jeddah Old City - Gateway to Makkah and Hijazi Heritage
Reposted from the web
Jeddah is located in the Hejaz region on the east coast of the Red Sea. In 647 AD, Caliph Uthman ordered it to be built as a port for travel to Mecca. Since then, Jeddah has been an important gateway for pilgrims arriving by sea.
The Old Town of Jeddah is the last ancient city along the Red Sea that still keeps its traditional layout. It is made up of tall tower houses, coral stone buildings, traditional mosques, open-air markets (souqs), cafes, and small public squares. These traditional buildings were once common along the Red Sea coast, but after the 20th century, modernization left only a few standing. They are an important witness to the Indian Ocean trade routes from the 16th to the early 20th century. Because of this, the Old Town of Jeddah was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014.
The most unique feature of the Old Town of Jeddah is the Roshan wooden bay window tower houses from the late 19th century. After the Suez Canal opened in 1869, a new route connected the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, and Jeddah's status rose quickly. As the number of merchants and pilgrims grew, these six-to-seven-story towers helped ease the housing shortage.
These towers are built from coral stone and lime plaster. They feature beautiful Roshan wooden bay windows and have no courtyards. The ground floor is used for shops, while the upper floors are rented out to pilgrims. The Roshan wooden bay windows are made from teak imported from Java. The carving and decoration styles depend on the owner's taste and are often influenced by India and other parts of Asia. The wooden bay windows are about 60 centimeters deep. People can look out at the view through the shutters or sit inside to drink tea and rest. Besides providing privacy and decoration, the Roshan wooden bay windows are important for cross-ventilation and cooling. People place water basins inside the windows, using the shade and airflow to cool the water.
Before the 1950s, most people living in the Old Town of Jeddah were local merchant families. Later, as oil income increased, most locals moved to the suburbs, and the houses in the old city were rented to migrant workers. After being added to the World Heritage list in 2014, the Saudi government began large-scale restoration of the old city. When we visited, many old buildings were still being repaired.
In the evening, we performed the Maghrib namaz at the Al-Shafi'i Mosque in the Old Town of Jeddah. The Al-Shafi'i Mosque is the oldest surviving coral stone mosque in Jeddah. It was first built in 1250 by the Yemeni King Mudhaffar. It is named after the Shafi'i school of law, which is followed in Yemen. In 1539, an Indian merchant named Khawaja Muhammad Ali brought the best wood from Yemen to rebuild the mosque, except for the minaret. Today, you can see clear influences from the Kerala region of India in the carvings on the porch's cross-shaped column capitals.
Shafi'i Mosque is built from coral stone, sea mud, and wood, with a main hall supported by wooden pillars and coral stone bases. The mihrab niche features rich calligraphy, geometric patterns, and floral decorations. The Kufic calligraphy above the mihrab forms the image of a mosque with six minarets, which clearly shows Ottoman influence.
To the west of Shafi'i Mosque are gold and silver workshops and a copper market, while the east side houses the traditional textile and clothing market, Souq Al Badw (Bedouin market), where the street is still filled with fabric shops.
There are some traditional cold drink shops in the old town of Jeddah where you can try traditional Hejaz region drinks. Sobia is a classic iftar drink in the Hejaz region, made by fermenting dried bread, raisins, barley, or oats, then filtering it and adding sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and ice. Besides the original white Sobia, you can add strawberry to make it red or tamarind to make it brown. They also have special blends that include ingredients like hibiscus.
Making Sobia produces varying amounts of alcohol depending on the fermentation time, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority states that a small amount of alcohol produced during the natural fermentation of juices and drinks is a natural chemical reaction.
Opposite the Bayt Ba'ishan old house is another open-to-the-public historic home called Bayt Jeddah, also known as Salloum's house, built by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Obaid Salloum in 1880. It preserves many pieces of furniture used by the Salloum family, including some imported from India that are over 120 years old.
The house has three floors: the first floor is a reception room, and the second floor is a bedroom where you can see many daily items, including old suitcases, sewing machines, and vintage kerosene-powered refrigerators. In the house, you can see the area once used in the Hejaz region to host female neighbors, who used to gather there every afternoon to drink tea and chat.
Opposite the Bayt Ba'ishan old house is another open-to-the-public historic home called Bayt Jeddah, also known as Salloum's house, built by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Obaid Salloum in 1880. It preserves many pieces of furniture used by the Salloum family, including some imported from India that are over 120 years old.
The house has three floors: the first floor is a reception room, and the second floor is a bedroom where you can see many daily items, including old suitcases, sewing machines, and vintage kerosene-powered refrigerators. In the house, you can see the area once used in the Hejaz region to host female neighbors, who used to gather there every afternoon to drink tea and chat.
There is an art gallery inside an old house with many paintings related to the ancient city of Jeddah.
In the evening, we performed namaz at the Abu'Unba mosque in the old town of Jeddah.
After namaz, we went to a traditional cafe across from the mosque. The small shop is not big, but it is decorated beautifully with many traditional Hejazi elements, making it perfect for photos. We ordered traditional coffee and dates dipped in sesame paste (tahini) to experience the life of old Jeddah residents.
In the evening, we ate various dips with pita bread at a traditional restaurant. We ate minced meat and eggplant casserole (moussaka). The word means 'mashed' in Arabic, and it later spread to the Middle East and the Balkans during the Ottoman Empire, with different versions in each place.
The next day, we went for a walk in the old town of Jeddah again. This time, we took a taxi to the north gate, Bab al-Jadid, and saw the excavated city wall ruins. The Jeddah city wall was built by Hussein al-Kurdi in the 16th century. It underwent major repairs in the 19th century and was demolished in 1947, with only a few gates remaining.
On the east side of the north gate is the old house Bayt Sharbatli. It was built 150 years ago by the merchant Sharif Abdulelah Muhanna al-Abdali, who owned a small fleet of ships traveling between Red Sea cities. Later, it was used as the Egyptian embassy.
The old town was quiet and empty in the morning. It is a pity that many old houses were not open for visits, so we could only look at them from the outside.
There are several seafood restaurants on the west side of the old town. I ate grilled fish and fried shrimp at one of them, served with two colors of rice. The restaurant uses traditional decor, and you have to sit on carpets and eat with your hands. The first floor is where you choose and grill the fish. The second floor is the men's area, while women and families must dine in private rooms on the third floor.
Several old buildings are currently under renovation. Because Saudi Arabia's tourism industry has just started, the development of the old town has also just begun. I expect that if I visit the old town of Jeddah again in a year or two, I will be able to see it after the renovations are complete.
East of the old town of Jeddah is the market area, where you can see stalls selling teeth-cleaning twigs (miswak). The Prophet Muhammad often recommended using miswak twigs to brush teeth in the Hadith.
We also drank black tea mixed with traditional local spices and served with sesame candy (zhima tang), which is a daily snack for the locals.
Finally, we finished our tour of the old city of Jeddah by performing namaz at a large mosque located above a market.
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Jeddah is located in the Hejaz region on the east coast of the Red Sea. In 647 AD, Caliph Uthman ordered it to be built as a port for travel to Mecca. Since then, Jeddah has been an important gateway for pilgrims arriving by sea.
The Old Town of Jeddah is the last ancient city along the Red Sea that still keeps its traditional layout. It is made up of tall tower houses, coral stone buildings, traditional mosques, open-air markets (souqs), cafes, and small public squares. These traditional buildings were once common along the Red Sea coast, but after the 20th century, modernization left only a few standing. They are an important witness to the Indian Ocean trade routes from the 16th to the early 20th century. Because of this, the Old Town of Jeddah was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014.
The most unique feature of the Old Town of Jeddah is the Roshan wooden bay window tower houses from the late 19th century. After the Suez Canal opened in 1869, a new route connected the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, and Jeddah's status rose quickly. As the number of merchants and pilgrims grew, these six-to-seven-story towers helped ease the housing shortage.
These towers are built from coral stone and lime plaster. They feature beautiful Roshan wooden bay windows and have no courtyards. The ground floor is used for shops, while the upper floors are rented out to pilgrims. The Roshan wooden bay windows are made from teak imported from Java. The carving and decoration styles depend on the owner's taste and are often influenced by India and other parts of Asia. The wooden bay windows are about 60 centimeters deep. People can look out at the view through the shutters or sit inside to drink tea and rest. Besides providing privacy and decoration, the Roshan wooden bay windows are important for cross-ventilation and cooling. People place water basins inside the windows, using the shade and airflow to cool the water.
Before the 1950s, most people living in the Old Town of Jeddah were local merchant families. Later, as oil income increased, most locals moved to the suburbs, and the houses in the old city were rented to migrant workers. After being added to the World Heritage list in 2014, the Saudi government began large-scale restoration of the old city. When we visited, many old buildings were still being repaired.
In the evening, we performed the Maghrib namaz at the Al-Shafi'i Mosque in the Old Town of Jeddah. The Al-Shafi'i Mosque is the oldest surviving coral stone mosque in Jeddah. It was first built in 1250 by the Yemeni King Mudhaffar. It is named after the Shafi'i school of law, which is followed in Yemen. In 1539, an Indian merchant named Khawaja Muhammad Ali brought the best wood from Yemen to rebuild the mosque, except for the minaret. Today, you can see clear influences from the Kerala region of India in the carvings on the porch's cross-shaped column capitals.
Shafi'i Mosque is built from coral stone, sea mud, and wood, with a main hall supported by wooden pillars and coral stone bases. The mihrab niche features rich calligraphy, geometric patterns, and floral decorations. The Kufic calligraphy above the mihrab forms the image of a mosque with six minarets, which clearly shows Ottoman influence.
To the west of Shafi'i Mosque are gold and silver workshops and a copper market, while the east side houses the traditional textile and clothing market, Souq Al Badw (Bedouin market), where the street is still filled with fabric shops.
There are some traditional cold drink shops in the old town of Jeddah where you can try traditional Hejaz region drinks. Sobia is a classic iftar drink in the Hejaz region, made by fermenting dried bread, raisins, barley, or oats, then filtering it and adding sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and ice. Besides the original white Sobia, you can add strawberry to make it red or tamarind to make it brown. They also have special blends that include ingredients like hibiscus.
Making Sobia produces varying amounts of alcohol depending on the fermentation time, and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority states that a small amount of alcohol produced during the natural fermentation of juices and drinks is a natural chemical reaction.
Opposite the Bayt Ba'ishan old house is another open-to-the-public historic home called Bayt Jeddah, also known as Salloum's house, built by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Obaid Salloum in 1880. It preserves many pieces of furniture used by the Salloum family, including some imported from India that are over 120 years old.
The house has three floors: the first floor is a reception room, and the second floor is a bedroom where you can see many daily items, including old suitcases, sewing machines, and vintage kerosene-powered refrigerators. In the house, you can see the area once used in the Hejaz region to host female neighbors, who used to gather there every afternoon to drink tea and chat.
Opposite the Bayt Ba'ishan old house is another open-to-the-public historic home called Bayt Jeddah, also known as Salloum's house, built by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Obaid Salloum in 1880. It preserves many pieces of furniture used by the Salloum family, including some imported from India that are over 120 years old.
The house has three floors: the first floor is a reception room, and the second floor is a bedroom where you can see many daily items, including old suitcases, sewing machines, and vintage kerosene-powered refrigerators. In the house, you can see the area once used in the Hejaz region to host female neighbors, who used to gather there every afternoon to drink tea and chat.
There is an art gallery inside an old house with many paintings related to the ancient city of Jeddah.
In the evening, we performed namaz at the Abu'Unba mosque in the old town of Jeddah.
After namaz, we went to a traditional cafe across from the mosque. The small shop is not big, but it is decorated beautifully with many traditional Hejazi elements, making it perfect for photos. We ordered traditional coffee and dates dipped in sesame paste (tahini) to experience the life of old Jeddah residents.
In the evening, we ate various dips with pita bread at a traditional restaurant. We ate minced meat and eggplant casserole (moussaka). The word means 'mashed' in Arabic, and it later spread to the Middle East and the Balkans during the Ottoman Empire, with different versions in each place.
The next day, we went for a walk in the old town of Jeddah again. This time, we took a taxi to the north gate, Bab al-Jadid, and saw the excavated city wall ruins. The Jeddah city wall was built by Hussein al-Kurdi in the 16th century. It underwent major repairs in the 19th century and was demolished in 1947, with only a few gates remaining.
On the east side of the north gate is the old house Bayt Sharbatli. It was built 150 years ago by the merchant Sharif Abdulelah Muhanna al-Abdali, who owned a small fleet of ships traveling between Red Sea cities. Later, it was used as the Egyptian embassy.
The old town was quiet and empty in the morning. It is a pity that many old houses were not open for visits, so we could only look at them from the outside.
There are several seafood restaurants on the west side of the old town. I ate grilled fish and fried shrimp at one of them, served with two colors of rice. The restaurant uses traditional decor, and you have to sit on carpets and eat with your hands. The first floor is where you choose and grill the fish. The second floor is the men's area, while women and families must dine in private rooms on the third floor.
Several old buildings are currently under renovation. Because Saudi Arabia's tourism industry has just started, the development of the old town has also just begun. I expect that if I visit the old town of Jeddah again in a year or two, I will be able to see it after the renovations are complete.
East of the old town of Jeddah is the market area, where you can see stalls selling teeth-cleaning twigs (miswak). The Prophet Muhammad often recommended using miswak twigs to brush teeth in the Hadith.
We also drank black tea mixed with traditional local spices and served with sesame candy (zhima tang), which is a daily snack for the locals.
Finally, we finished our tour of the old city of Jeddah by performing namaz at a large mosque located above a market.
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Halal Travel Guide: Tripoli, Lebanon - Mamluk Mosques and Old City (Part 1)
Reposted from the web
Tripoli is in northern Lebanon. It takes about an hour to get there by minibus from across the street from the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in the capital, Beirut. The history of Tripoli dates back to the 14th century BC. For thousands of years, it has been an important port on the eastern Mediterranean coast. The early city of Tripoli was always along the coast. In 1289, the Mamluk dynasty took Tripoli from the Crusaders, destroyed the old city, and built a new one 4 kilometers inland below the castle. Today, about 35 ancient buildings from the Mamluk period remain in the old city of Tripoli. This makes Tripoli the city with the most preserved Mamluk monuments after Cairo.
Since the Ottoman Empire left Lebanon in 1918, Tripoli has fallen into a long decline, and Beirut has completely replaced it as a trade center. The Lebanese Civil War that began in 1975 hit Tripoli hard. In 1985, a battle between Sunni and Alawite militias forced 200,000 people to leave their homes and led to the Syrian army staying in Tripoli until 2005. After the civil war ended, Lebanon focused its funds on rebuilding the capital, Beirut. Tripoli seemed to be forgotten, and more than half of its residents live in poverty. At the same time, conflicts between Sunnis and Alawites happen from time to time. Explosions and suicide attacks often occur, making Tripoli a place unsuitable for tourism for a long time.
We first went to the Taynal Mosque south of the old city. The Taynal Mosque was built in 1336 by order of the Mamluk governor (Na'ib) of Tripoli, Amir Taynal. Amir Taynal served three terms as governor of Tripoli and one term as governor of Gaza in the mid-14th century. The famous 14th-century traveler Ibn Battuta wrote in his travelogue: 'About forty Turkish princes and nobles live in the city.' The governor of the city is Amir Taynal, who is known as the 'King of the Chiefs'. His residence is commonly known as the 'House of Blessings'. He was accustomed to riding out every Monday and Thursday, accompanied by chiefs and a large guard, and would not return to the city until he was satisfied. Amir Taynal passed away in Damascus in 1343. Although his tomb was built in the Taynal Mosque, he was eventually buried in Damascus.
The main prayer hall of Taynal Mosque consists of two connected halls. The most magnificent part is the entrance to the second hall, which features a gate with a stalactite-style cornice (muqarnas) built using the ablaq technique of alternating black and white marble. Inside the prayer hall are some ancient Corinthian columns, which are thought to have come from a Crusader-era church or an even older Roman temple. The original pulpit (minbar) in the mosque dated back to its construction in 1336, but it had been replaced with a new one by the time I visited.
Continue walking north into the market street of the old city of Tripoli, and you will see the Hanging Mosque (Mu'allaq Mosque) built over the middle of the road. The Hanging Mosque was commissioned in 1561 by Mahmud Lutfi al-Za'im, the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The first floor of the Hanging Mosque is a culvert over the street, so you must climb the stairs to the side to reach the second-floor prayer hall. The octagonal minaret (bangkelou) next to the prayer hall is very eye-catching and features two levels of balconies.
Right next to the Hanging Mosque is the Al Jadid bathhouse (hammam), built during the Ottoman period in 1740. It remained in use until the 1970s, when it closed after the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War. This bathhouse was a gift to Tripoli from Asad Pasha Al Azem, the governor of Damascus at the time. The bathhouse gate is exquisite, featuring a fourteen-link chain carved from a single piece of stone.
The markets in the old city of Tripoli are very lively, which is a sharp contrast to Beirut. Ibn Battuta wrote in his travelogue: 'Afterward, we arrived at the city of Tripoli.' It was an important town in the Levant (Sham), with several small rivers flowing through it. It is surrounded by fragrant orchards and lush green trees. The sea surrounds it with its blue waters, and the earth nourishes it with its treasures. The goods in the market are dazzling and truly amazing.
We drank street coffee in the market and saw all kinds of dairy products, which was very interesting.
Continuing north from the market, we reached the Mansouri Great Mosque, a landmark in the center of Tripoli's old city. The Mansouri Great Mosque, also called the Great Mosque of Tripoli, was ordered to be built in 1294 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil. It was the first building the Mamluk dynasty constructed in Tripoli.
In 1109, the French Crusaders captured Tripoli, and for the next 180 years, the city was ruled by European Christian nobles. In 1260, the Mongol army captured Damascus and took the last Ayyubid Sultan prisoner, ending the Ayyubid dynasty. From then on, the center of Islamic power on the eastern Mediterranean coast shifted to the Mamluk dynasty in Egypt. In 1289, the Mamluk army arrived at the walls of Tripoli with large catapults. Under the attack of the catapults, two of Tripoli's towers quickly collapsed. The Mamluk army entered the city and razed it to the ground.
Soon after, the Mamluk dynasty began building a new city at the foot of the castle on 'Pilgrim Mountain.' This included building the Mansouri Great Mosque on the ruins of a Crusader church at the foot of the hill. The mosque's minaret is likely part of the Crusader Church of St. Mary, and the main gate may also incorporate the original Crusader church entrance. The main hall was built by the Mamluk dynasty in 1294, and the courtyard's surrounding arcade was built in 1314 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad.
During the 14th century, the Mamluk dynasty built six madrasas (Islamic schools) around the Mansouri Great Mosque, which trained a large number of students. These include the al-Khayriyya Hasan (1309 or later), al-Qartawiyya (around 1326), al-Shamsiyya (1349), al-Nasiriyya (between 1354–1360), al-Nuriyya (14th century), and the Mashhad madrasa. The al-Qartawiyya madrasa outside the east wall of the Mansouri Great Mosque is the most magnificent. Unfortunately, we could not find the madrasa's gate in the maze-like alleys of the old city, but we did see the calligraphy carvings on its walls.
Leaving the noisy market, we turned east onto Al-Asrar Alley, which was once the residential area for high-ranking Mamluk officers. On the way, we passed the Al-Mahatra Gate of Tripoli's old city. The gate's name comes from the military musicians who played to boost the army's morale. Now that the war is over, houses have been built on top of the gate, and it has become a quiet alley.
Passing through the alley, we arrived at another landmark in Tripoli: the Citadel of Tripoli. The site of the Citadel of Tripoli was originally a Shia cemetery from the Fatimid period. During the Frankish Crusader siege of Tripoli in 1102–1103, the Crusader leader Raymond of Saint-Gilles ordered it to be built as a fortress, which is why it is also called the Castle of Saint-Gilles. After the Mamluk dynasty captured Tripoli in 1289, they rebuilt the castle using many Roman columns and other building materials found nearby. In 1521, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the castle again, changing the arrow slits into firing ports for cannons. In the early 19th century, the Ottoman governor of Tripoli carried out the last major renovation of the castle, giving it the appearance it has today.
The castle gate consists of two towers. There was originally a drawbridge over the moat in front, but it has now been replaced by a stone bridge. The black and white marble facade above the gate was built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1521. The stone inscription on it reads, 'May the Emir never cease to obey his command, restoring this sacred castle so that it may forever be a strong fortress.'
Above the gate, you can see the machicolation built during the Mamluk period. This is a classic structure in medieval castle defense systems, where defenders on top of the walls and towers could pour boiling water and oil through the openings onto those below.
After entering the gate of Tripoli Castle, there is a small courtyard, and behind the courtyard is a taller tower gate. The tower was first built during the Frankish Crusader period, and the current structure was rebuilt by the Mamluk dynasty in 1345.
There was once a mosque in the courtyard built by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, Barbar Agha (1767-1834). You can still see the mihrab niche on the north wall of the tower. Unfortunately, the stone inscription above the niche was lost during the Lebanese Civil War and its whereabouts remain unknown. Above the niche, you can still see a row of structural holes where the beams of the mosque roof were once placed.
From the drawbridge through the main gate to the tower, you must pass through six doors to enter the interior of the castle. These doors were once equipped with iron-studded panels, and there are narrow arrow slits on the walls, forming a very mature castle defense system.
If the first few gates were breached, the defenders could lure the enemy into the stables on the west side of the tower. The arrow slits in the stables could be used to deal with these enemies, and some of the slits were enlarged in the early 19th century to accommodate cannons. From the stables, you can reach the guard quarters on the upper level of the tower, and then climb to the roof to overlook the panoramic view of Tripoli.
The core area of Tripoli Castle consists of the prison and barracks built during the Ottoman period. A Frankish Crusader cemetery was excavated here in the 1970s and backfilled in 2011.
At the southernmost end of Tripoli Castle, the ruins of a Shia tomb from the Fatimid dynasty (909-1171) are preserved. The most prominent is an octagonal tomb carved with Kufic Arabic calligraphy. When the Frankish Crusaders built a castle here between 1102 and 1103, this octagonal tomb was turned into a small church, and the mihrab niche inside the tomb was converted into a bay window. Later, the Frankish Crusaders built a large church on top of the tomb, turning the tomb into a basement.
After the Mamluk dynasty captured the castle in 1289, the site of the Fatimid tomb was restored as a place of worship, and the mihrab niche was also repaired.
After finishing my tour of Tripoli Castle, I headed north back to the old city of Tripoli to perform the afternoon prayer (asr) at Al-Uwaysiyat Mosque. Al-Uwaysiyat Mosque was first built in 1461 during the Mamluk period and was renovated in 1534 during the time of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
After the prayer, I returned to the old city market and ate a street-style cheese flatbread (manakish), which must be the most classic snack in the market. Then I watched the carpenters working diligently on the street.
I had ice cream and lemonade inside the Mamluk-era Haraj Market (souq). Haraj Market was built in the 14th century and features 8-meter-high vaulted ceilings supported by black granite columns, some of which may have come from ancient Roman or Byzantine buildings. The market has two floors. The upper rooms were for merchants to stay in and had wooden windows, allowing the merchants' female relatives to look down at the market below, while the lower floor was for selling goods.
Bombing during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983 caused severe damage to Haraj Market, but it was restored over a long period to its current state.
Tripoli has always been famous for producing perfume and handmade soap, with Bader Hassoun's Khan Al Saboun (Soap Inn) being one of the more well-known brands. The Hassoun family's history of making soap in Tripoli dates back to the early Mamluk dynasty in 1256, while the Khan Al Saboun in the old city of Tripoli was built in 1480 during the late Mamluk dynasty.
Khan Al Saboun has a courtyard made of two-story galleries with a pool in the middle. The second floor of the gallery was where caravans stayed, while the first floor was for making and selling soap. People say the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent once received soap from Tripoli as a tribute, and at the urging of the Queen, Suleiman ordered the expansion of the Khan Al Saboun in Tripoli. After it was built, the soap inn became a trade center for making and selling soap, and it started exporting soap to Europe. Today, the Bader Hassoun soap shop is located right here.
In 1993, Bader Hassoun’s jewelry shop in the old city of Tripoli was robbed, which led him to decide to revive his family tradition of making soap. He and his wife spent one night making traditional soap using olive oil, dates, glycerin, natural coloring, and spices, and it all sold out the next day.
We bought the most traditional natural soap at the shop, which comes in green tea, lavender, and cedar scents. The cedar is an important symbol of Lebanon, and Lebanon is known as the Land of the Cedars. We also bought an olive oil soap safe for babies, which we can use for Suleiman.
Misriyyin Inn is located in the northern part of the old city of Tripoli and dates back to the Mamluk period in the 14th century. On the second floor of the inn, there is a Sharkass soap shop, and they have been making traditional olive oil soap since 1803. The Tripoli Soap shop on the first floor opened in 1937, and you can watch them make natural soap on-site here. Collapse Read »
Tripoli is in northern Lebanon. It takes about an hour to get there by minibus from across the street from the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in the capital, Beirut. The history of Tripoli dates back to the 14th century BC. For thousands of years, it has been an important port on the eastern Mediterranean coast. The early city of Tripoli was always along the coast. In 1289, the Mamluk dynasty took Tripoli from the Crusaders, destroyed the old city, and built a new one 4 kilometers inland below the castle. Today, about 35 ancient buildings from the Mamluk period remain in the old city of Tripoli. This makes Tripoli the city with the most preserved Mamluk monuments after Cairo.
Since the Ottoman Empire left Lebanon in 1918, Tripoli has fallen into a long decline, and Beirut has completely replaced it as a trade center. The Lebanese Civil War that began in 1975 hit Tripoli hard. In 1985, a battle between Sunni and Alawite militias forced 200,000 people to leave their homes and led to the Syrian army staying in Tripoli until 2005. After the civil war ended, Lebanon focused its funds on rebuilding the capital, Beirut. Tripoli seemed to be forgotten, and more than half of its residents live in poverty. At the same time, conflicts between Sunnis and Alawites happen from time to time. Explosions and suicide attacks often occur, making Tripoli a place unsuitable for tourism for a long time.
We first went to the Taynal Mosque south of the old city. The Taynal Mosque was built in 1336 by order of the Mamluk governor (Na'ib) of Tripoli, Amir Taynal. Amir Taynal served three terms as governor of Tripoli and one term as governor of Gaza in the mid-14th century. The famous 14th-century traveler Ibn Battuta wrote in his travelogue: 'About forty Turkish princes and nobles live in the city.' The governor of the city is Amir Taynal, who is known as the 'King of the Chiefs'. His residence is commonly known as the 'House of Blessings'. He was accustomed to riding out every Monday and Thursday, accompanied by chiefs and a large guard, and would not return to the city until he was satisfied. Amir Taynal passed away in Damascus in 1343. Although his tomb was built in the Taynal Mosque, he was eventually buried in Damascus.
The main prayer hall of Taynal Mosque consists of two connected halls. The most magnificent part is the entrance to the second hall, which features a gate with a stalactite-style cornice (muqarnas) built using the ablaq technique of alternating black and white marble. Inside the prayer hall are some ancient Corinthian columns, which are thought to have come from a Crusader-era church or an even older Roman temple. The original pulpit (minbar) in the mosque dated back to its construction in 1336, but it had been replaced with a new one by the time I visited.
Continue walking north into the market street of the old city of Tripoli, and you will see the Hanging Mosque (Mu'allaq Mosque) built over the middle of the road. The Hanging Mosque was commissioned in 1561 by Mahmud Lutfi al-Za'im, the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The first floor of the Hanging Mosque is a culvert over the street, so you must climb the stairs to the side to reach the second-floor prayer hall. The octagonal minaret (bangkelou) next to the prayer hall is very eye-catching and features two levels of balconies.
Right next to the Hanging Mosque is the Al Jadid bathhouse (hammam), built during the Ottoman period in 1740. It remained in use until the 1970s, when it closed after the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War. This bathhouse was a gift to Tripoli from Asad Pasha Al Azem, the governor of Damascus at the time. The bathhouse gate is exquisite, featuring a fourteen-link chain carved from a single piece of stone.
The markets in the old city of Tripoli are very lively, which is a sharp contrast to Beirut. Ibn Battuta wrote in his travelogue: 'Afterward, we arrived at the city of Tripoli.' It was an important town in the Levant (Sham), with several small rivers flowing through it. It is surrounded by fragrant orchards and lush green trees. The sea surrounds it with its blue waters, and the earth nourishes it with its treasures. The goods in the market are dazzling and truly amazing.
We drank street coffee in the market and saw all kinds of dairy products, which was very interesting.
Continuing north from the market, we reached the Mansouri Great Mosque, a landmark in the center of Tripoli's old city. The Mansouri Great Mosque, also called the Great Mosque of Tripoli, was ordered to be built in 1294 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil. It was the first building the Mamluk dynasty constructed in Tripoli.
In 1109, the French Crusaders captured Tripoli, and for the next 180 years, the city was ruled by European Christian nobles. In 1260, the Mongol army captured Damascus and took the last Ayyubid Sultan prisoner, ending the Ayyubid dynasty. From then on, the center of Islamic power on the eastern Mediterranean coast shifted to the Mamluk dynasty in Egypt. In 1289, the Mamluk army arrived at the walls of Tripoli with large catapults. Under the attack of the catapults, two of Tripoli's towers quickly collapsed. The Mamluk army entered the city and razed it to the ground.
Soon after, the Mamluk dynasty began building a new city at the foot of the castle on 'Pilgrim Mountain.' This included building the Mansouri Great Mosque on the ruins of a Crusader church at the foot of the hill. The mosque's minaret is likely part of the Crusader Church of St. Mary, and the main gate may also incorporate the original Crusader church entrance. The main hall was built by the Mamluk dynasty in 1294, and the courtyard's surrounding arcade was built in 1314 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad.
During the 14th century, the Mamluk dynasty built six madrasas (Islamic schools) around the Mansouri Great Mosque, which trained a large number of students. These include the al-Khayriyya Hasan (1309 or later), al-Qartawiyya (around 1326), al-Shamsiyya (1349), al-Nasiriyya (between 1354–1360), al-Nuriyya (14th century), and the Mashhad madrasa. The al-Qartawiyya madrasa outside the east wall of the Mansouri Great Mosque is the most magnificent. Unfortunately, we could not find the madrasa's gate in the maze-like alleys of the old city, but we did see the calligraphy carvings on its walls.
Leaving the noisy market, we turned east onto Al-Asrar Alley, which was once the residential area for high-ranking Mamluk officers. On the way, we passed the Al-Mahatra Gate of Tripoli's old city. The gate's name comes from the military musicians who played to boost the army's morale. Now that the war is over, houses have been built on top of the gate, and it has become a quiet alley.
Passing through the alley, we arrived at another landmark in Tripoli: the Citadel of Tripoli. The site of the Citadel of Tripoli was originally a Shia cemetery from the Fatimid period. During the Frankish Crusader siege of Tripoli in 1102–1103, the Crusader leader Raymond of Saint-Gilles ordered it to be built as a fortress, which is why it is also called the Castle of Saint-Gilles. After the Mamluk dynasty captured Tripoli in 1289, they rebuilt the castle using many Roman columns and other building materials found nearby. In 1521, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the castle again, changing the arrow slits into firing ports for cannons. In the early 19th century, the Ottoman governor of Tripoli carried out the last major renovation of the castle, giving it the appearance it has today.
The castle gate consists of two towers. There was originally a drawbridge over the moat in front, but it has now been replaced by a stone bridge. The black and white marble facade above the gate was built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1521. The stone inscription on it reads, 'May the Emir never cease to obey his command, restoring this sacred castle so that it may forever be a strong fortress.'
Above the gate, you can see the machicolation built during the Mamluk period. This is a classic structure in medieval castle defense systems, where defenders on top of the walls and towers could pour boiling water and oil through the openings onto those below.
After entering the gate of Tripoli Castle, there is a small courtyard, and behind the courtyard is a taller tower gate. The tower was first built during the Frankish Crusader period, and the current structure was rebuilt by the Mamluk dynasty in 1345.
There was once a mosque in the courtyard built by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli, Barbar Agha (1767-1834). You can still see the mihrab niche on the north wall of the tower. Unfortunately, the stone inscription above the niche was lost during the Lebanese Civil War and its whereabouts remain unknown. Above the niche, you can still see a row of structural holes where the beams of the mosque roof were once placed.
From the drawbridge through the main gate to the tower, you must pass through six doors to enter the interior of the castle. These doors were once equipped with iron-studded panels, and there are narrow arrow slits on the walls, forming a very mature castle defense system.
If the first few gates were breached, the defenders could lure the enemy into the stables on the west side of the tower. The arrow slits in the stables could be used to deal with these enemies, and some of the slits were enlarged in the early 19th century to accommodate cannons. From the stables, you can reach the guard quarters on the upper level of the tower, and then climb to the roof to overlook the panoramic view of Tripoli.
The core area of Tripoli Castle consists of the prison and barracks built during the Ottoman period. A Frankish Crusader cemetery was excavated here in the 1970s and backfilled in 2011.
At the southernmost end of Tripoli Castle, the ruins of a Shia tomb from the Fatimid dynasty (909-1171) are preserved. The most prominent is an octagonal tomb carved with Kufic Arabic calligraphy. When the Frankish Crusaders built a castle here between 1102 and 1103, this octagonal tomb was turned into a small church, and the mihrab niche inside the tomb was converted into a bay window. Later, the Frankish Crusaders built a large church on top of the tomb, turning the tomb into a basement.
After the Mamluk dynasty captured the castle in 1289, the site of the Fatimid tomb was restored as a place of worship, and the mihrab niche was also repaired.
After finishing my tour of Tripoli Castle, I headed north back to the old city of Tripoli to perform the afternoon prayer (asr) at Al-Uwaysiyat Mosque. Al-Uwaysiyat Mosque was first built in 1461 during the Mamluk period and was renovated in 1534 during the time of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
After the prayer, I returned to the old city market and ate a street-style cheese flatbread (manakish), which must be the most classic snack in the market. Then I watched the carpenters working diligently on the street.
I had ice cream and lemonade inside the Mamluk-era Haraj Market (souq). Haraj Market was built in the 14th century and features 8-meter-high vaulted ceilings supported by black granite columns, some of which may have come from ancient Roman or Byzantine buildings. The market has two floors. The upper rooms were for merchants to stay in and had wooden windows, allowing the merchants' female relatives to look down at the market below, while the lower floor was for selling goods.
Bombing during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983 caused severe damage to Haraj Market, but it was restored over a long period to its current state.
Tripoli has always been famous for producing perfume and handmade soap, with Bader Hassoun's Khan Al Saboun (Soap Inn) being one of the more well-known brands. The Hassoun family's history of making soap in Tripoli dates back to the early Mamluk dynasty in 1256, while the Khan Al Saboun in the old city of Tripoli was built in 1480 during the late Mamluk dynasty.
Khan Al Saboun has a courtyard made of two-story galleries with a pool in the middle. The second floor of the gallery was where caravans stayed, while the first floor was for making and selling soap. People say the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent once received soap from Tripoli as a tribute, and at the urging of the Queen, Suleiman ordered the expansion of the Khan Al Saboun in Tripoli. After it was built, the soap inn became a trade center for making and selling soap, and it started exporting soap to Europe. Today, the Bader Hassoun soap shop is located right here.
In 1993, Bader Hassoun’s jewelry shop in the old city of Tripoli was robbed, which led him to decide to revive his family tradition of making soap. He and his wife spent one night making traditional soap using olive oil, dates, glycerin, natural coloring, and spices, and it all sold out the next day.
We bought the most traditional natural soap at the shop, which comes in green tea, lavender, and cedar scents. The cedar is an important symbol of Lebanon, and Lebanon is known as the Land of the Cedars. We also bought an olive oil soap safe for babies, which we can use for Suleiman.
Misriyyin Inn is located in the northern part of the old city of Tripoli and dates back to the Mamluk period in the 14th century. On the second floor of the inn, there is a Sharkass soap shop, and they have been making traditional olive oil soap since 1803. The Tripoli Soap shop on the first floor opened in 1937, and you can watch them make natural soap on-site here. Collapse Read »
Halal Travel Guide: Tripoli, Lebanon - Mamluk Old City and Mosques (Part 2)
Reposted from the web
The Ezzedin Bathhouse (Hammam) was the first public bath built by the Mamluk dynasty after they took Tripoli. Emir Ezzedin Aibek, who ruled Tripoli from 1293 to 1298, ordered its construction using many marble pieces from the Byzantine and Crusader eras. This bathhouse operated from the end of the 13th century until 1975, when it closed after the Lebanese Civil War began. It has been restored and is now free to visit.
The Ezzedin Bathhouse follows the classic Roman-Byzantine bath design. It has three parts: a changing room with a central fountain, a warm room with private stalls, and a hot steam room.
The bathhouse gate likely uses parts from a Crusader church. The lintel features two roses and a Paschal lamb, which are typical Christian symbols. You can still see an Arabic sign written before it closed in 1975: 'Women use it between 12 and 4, and men use it after 4.'
The dome in the main hall has many round holes for light. Blue glass cups cover these holes to keep the heat inside.
The Jawani Harrara room sits right next to the boiler. It is the hottest and most humid part of the bathhouse and has a delicate window that lets hot steam into the room. The red stone section in the middle is called the Blata. Pipes underneath connect to the boiler, and people can get massages on top of it.
Right next to the Ezzedin Bathhouse is the Tailors' Inn (Khan Khayyatin). Prince Badr al-Din built this Mamluk-era trading inn in 1339. It mainly sold needles, thread, and textiles for tailors. This is not a typical courtyard inn. It consists of two rows of shops with stores on the ground floor and guest rooms on the second floor. The two sides do not connect, and the roof has ten arched sections linked horizontally. People say the inn has this shape because it was built on the foundation of a Byzantine-Crusader building.
Some historical sites I did not enter.
The first is the Attar Mosque. A local Tripoli perfume merchant named Badr al-Din al-Attar built it in the 1350s on the ruins of a Crusader church. It is also the first non-Mamluk mosque in Tripoli. The Attar Mosque is known as one of the most beautiful mosques in Tripoli, but it has been closed for several years for repairs.
The second is the Tawba Mosque. The exact age of Tawba Mosque is unknown, but it is thought to have been built during the Mamluk period. Because it sits right next to the riverbank, the stone inscription marking its construction was likely washed away in a flood. A stone inscription now at the mosque entrance says it was rebuilt after a flood in 1612. Many mosques in Lebanon lock their doors outside of prayer times, so I could not go inside and only saw the octagonal minaret (bangke ta).
The third one is Burtasi Mosque, built by Isa ibn Umar al-Burtasi during the Mamluk period. Since Isa passed away in 1324, we can guess the mosque was built between the late 13th century and 1324. A flood in 1955 destroyed all the houses around Burtasi Mosque, and it is now the only building left standing on the riverbank. The minaret above the main gate is known as the most beautiful minaret in Tripoli. Above the three-story honeycomb-style decorative carving (muqarnas) is a square balcony with Moorish-style double-arched windows. This type of double arch is a classic feature of Muslim architecture from Andalusia in southern Spain.
The fourth site is Askar Inn (Khan), built in the 14th-century Mamluk period, which is the largest trading inn in Tripoli.
I had a traditional bean stew brunch at Akra Restaurant in the old city of Tripoli. I ordered traditional stewed fava beans and chickpeas, plus hummus topped with cashews and peanuts, all eaten inside pita bread.
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The Ezzedin Bathhouse (Hammam) was the first public bath built by the Mamluk dynasty after they took Tripoli. Emir Ezzedin Aibek, who ruled Tripoli from 1293 to 1298, ordered its construction using many marble pieces from the Byzantine and Crusader eras. This bathhouse operated from the end of the 13th century until 1975, when it closed after the Lebanese Civil War began. It has been restored and is now free to visit.
The Ezzedin Bathhouse follows the classic Roman-Byzantine bath design. It has three parts: a changing room with a central fountain, a warm room with private stalls, and a hot steam room.
The bathhouse gate likely uses parts from a Crusader church. The lintel features two roses and a Paschal lamb, which are typical Christian symbols. You can still see an Arabic sign written before it closed in 1975: 'Women use it between 12 and 4, and men use it after 4.'
The dome in the main hall has many round holes for light. Blue glass cups cover these holes to keep the heat inside.
The Jawani Harrara room sits right next to the boiler. It is the hottest and most humid part of the bathhouse and has a delicate window that lets hot steam into the room. The red stone section in the middle is called the Blata. Pipes underneath connect to the boiler, and people can get massages on top of it.
Right next to the Ezzedin Bathhouse is the Tailors' Inn (Khan Khayyatin). Prince Badr al-Din built this Mamluk-era trading inn in 1339. It mainly sold needles, thread, and textiles for tailors. This is not a typical courtyard inn. It consists of two rows of shops with stores on the ground floor and guest rooms on the second floor. The two sides do not connect, and the roof has ten arched sections linked horizontally. People say the inn has this shape because it was built on the foundation of a Byzantine-Crusader building.
Some historical sites I did not enter.
The first is the Attar Mosque. A local Tripoli perfume merchant named Badr al-Din al-Attar built it in the 1350s on the ruins of a Crusader church. It is also the first non-Mamluk mosque in Tripoli. The Attar Mosque is known as one of the most beautiful mosques in Tripoli, but it has been closed for several years for repairs.
The second is the Tawba Mosque. The exact age of Tawba Mosque is unknown, but it is thought to have been built during the Mamluk period. Because it sits right next to the riverbank, the stone inscription marking its construction was likely washed away in a flood. A stone inscription now at the mosque entrance says it was rebuilt after a flood in 1612. Many mosques in Lebanon lock their doors outside of prayer times, so I could not go inside and only saw the octagonal minaret (bangke ta).
The third one is Burtasi Mosque, built by Isa ibn Umar al-Burtasi during the Mamluk period. Since Isa passed away in 1324, we can guess the mosque was built between the late 13th century and 1324. A flood in 1955 destroyed all the houses around Burtasi Mosque, and it is now the only building left standing on the riverbank. The minaret above the main gate is known as the most beautiful minaret in Tripoli. Above the three-story honeycomb-style decorative carving (muqarnas) is a square balcony with Moorish-style double-arched windows. This type of double arch is a classic feature of Muslim architecture from Andalusia in southern Spain.
The fourth site is Askar Inn (Khan), built in the 14th-century Mamluk period, which is the largest trading inn in Tripoli.
I had a traditional bean stew brunch at Akra Restaurant in the old city of Tripoli. I ordered traditional stewed fava beans and chickpeas, plus hummus topped with cashews and peanuts, all eaten inside pita bread.
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