MY TRAVEL INFO :OLD GRAVES AND TOMB IN SINGAPORE

MAKAM HABIB NOH

Makam Habib Noh (also known as Keramat Habib Noh) is a renowned Muslim shrine and mausoleum in Singapore. Located at 37 Palmer Road on a hillock known as Mount Palmer, it is the resting place of Habib Noh bin Mohamad Al-Habshi, a revered Muslim saint.

Habib Noh (1788–1866) was an Arab mystic of Hadhrami descent and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He arrived in Singapore around 1819 and was famous for his deep piety, compassion for the poor, and spiritual miracles.

Legend states that during his funeral in 1866, his coffin became unexpectedly heavy and immovable. It could only be lifted once the pallbearers agreed to honor his wish to be buried on the peak of Mount Palmer, where he often retreated for meditation.

The current structure sits atop a flight of 49 steps (originally 52). It is painted in yellow (symbolizing holiness) and green (symbolizing paradise). A building was later constructed over the tomb and officially opened in 1987.

Located at 37 Palmer Road, Singapore 079424 (near Tanjong Pagar MRT).

Associated Landmarks

• Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh: This mosque stands at the foot of the hill. It was completed in 1903 by a merchant named Haji Muhammad Salleh, who was a friend of Habib Noh.
• Cousin’s Tomb: The tomb of Habib Abdurrahman bin Salim Al-Habsyi, Singapore's first qadhi (religious judge), is located behind Habib Noh’s maqam.

MAKAM RADIN MAS AYU

Makam Radin Mas Ayu (or Keramat Radin Mas) is the shrine of a legendary Javanese princess located at the foot of Mount Faber in Singapore. Her story is one of the most poignant tales in local folklore, centered on filial piety and sacrifice.

Radin Mas Ayu was the daughter of Pangeran Adipati Agung, a warrior prince from Java, and a commoner (a palace dancer). Because the Sultan of Java disapproved of the marriage, he ordered their house burned while the Pangeran was away. The mother perished, but Radin Mas was saved.

Fearing further persecution, the Pangeran fled to Singapore (then Temasek) with Radin Mas. They lived as commoners in a village at Telok Blangah.

After the Pangeran helped defeat pirates, the Sultan of Singapore offered his daughter's hand in marriage to him. The Pangeran’s new wife grew jealous of Radin Mas. She and her nephew, Tengku Bagus, plotted to kill the Pangeran.

During a confrontation, Tengku Bagus lunged at the Pangeran with a kris (a traditional dagger). Radin Mas heroically sprang forward to shield her father and was fatally stabbed in the heart. She was said to be only about 14 years old.

Her name lives on through the Radin Mas neighborhood, Radin Mas Primary School, and the Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC).

The tomb is housed within a modest hut, often decorated with yellow and green cloths. It was famously refurbished in the late 1990s by a dedicated volunteer caretaker, Mr. Zainal Atan (also known as Pak Daeng).

MAKAM SHARIFAH ZAINAH

Located at 31 Jalan Kechot, Singapore 419159 (off Sims Avenue East), a walking distance from Kembangan MRT Station.

Makam Sharifah Zainah (also known as Keramat Sharifah Zainah) is a sacred shrine located at Jalan Kechot in the Kembangan area of Singapore.

While less physically prominent than the shrine of Habib Noh, it is deeply respected by the local Muslim community and remains a significant site of pilgrimage.

Sharifah Zainah Al-Habsyi was a pious woman of Arab descent (Hadhrami). She was the grandniece of Habib Noh bin Mohamad Al-Habshi (Singapore’s most famous saint).

Her lineage is as follows:

• Habib Noh was the brother of Habib Salikin.
• Habib Salikin had a son named Habib Ahmad.
• Sharifah Zainah was the daughter of Habib Ahmad.

She lived during the 19th and early 20th centuries and was known for her immense devotion, humility, and spiritual character.

The tomb was originally located in a private family burial ground within a kampong (village) setting.

As Singapore underwent rapid urban development, many old graves were moved. However, the Makam of Sharifah Zainah remained at its original site on Jalan Kechot, even as the surrounding area transformed into a modern residential neighborhood.

The shrine is housed within a small, neatly maintained building painted in traditional colors of yellow and green. It is nestled among private terrace houses, creating a unique spiritual pocket in a modern suburban environment.

As it is a sacred site, visitors are expected to dress modestly and maintain a quiet, respectful demeanor. It is often visited by those who have visited Makam Habib Noh, as she is a member of the same revered family.

MAKAM DIRAJA JOHOR, TELOK BLANGAH

Located at 30 Telok Blangah Road (opposite VivoCity)

The most well-known "Makam Telok Blangah", is a royal burial ground located within the compound of Masjid Temenggong Daeing Ibrahim. 

It is the final resting place of the Temenggong of Johor, specifically :

• Temenggong Abdul Rahman: The ruler who signed the 1819 treaty with Sir Stamford Raffles.
• Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim: His son, who was a key figure in the development of Johor and Singapore.
• Family Members: Around 32 other members of the Johor royal family are interred here.

The land owned by the State of Johor,not Singapore. It serves as a reminder of the time when Telok Blangah was the administrative center for the Johor Sultanate before they moved their capital to Johor Bahru in 1866. 

KAMPONG BEREH GRAVEYARD

The Kampong Bereh Graveyard (often referred to as the Old Choa Chu Kang Road End Muslim Cemetery) is a hidden, historical burial site located in the western part of Singapore.

Unlike the modern, neatly organized blocks of the main Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Complex, this graveyard is an "unofficial" heritage site that predates the modern burial policies of the 1970s.

Because the graveyard sits outside the current boundary of the official Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Complex, it was not initially subject to the 15-year burial lease policy. This makes it a "time capsule" of old Malay/Muslim grave architecture, featuring various styles of batu nisan (headstones) and dapur kubur (grave structures).

In the 1960s and 70s, the area was heavily forested with mangrove-lined rivers (Sungei Choa Chu Kang and Sungei Tho Pek Kong). The cemetery was a community space for the villagers before they were resettled in the 1990s to make way for military and industrial development.

KAMPONG CHE MARANG GRAVEYARD

Located at 45 Marang Road (near HarbourFront MRT)

The Kampong Che Marang Graveyard (commonly known as the Marang Cemetery or Tanah Perkuburan Marang) is a historic, hidden burial site located at the foot of Mount Faber in Singapore.

Long forgotten and overgrown by the jungle, it was "rediscovered" in 2008 and is now recognized as one of the oldest Muslim burial grounds in the country.

The village and the cemetery were named after Haji Ahmad bin Omar, a wealthy Malay businessman from Marang, Terengganu, who was known by the title "Marang."

Kampong Marang was a bustling Malay settlement that existed for nearly 200 years until it was cleared for redevelopment in the 1980s.  A major fire in the 1980s destroyed most of the village. While the residents were resettled, the graveyard was left behind and eventually swallowed by the dense forest undergrowth.

The site contains roughly 200 graves, including those of prominent historical figures:

• Haji Omar bin Abdul Jalil: The father of the village founder. His grave, dating back to 1866, is one of the oldest identified Muslim graves in Singapore.
• Haji Ahmad (Marang) bin Omar: The founder of the village himself, who died in 1920.
• Abdul Halim bin Karto: A former Justice of the Peace and qadhi (religious judge) who founded several mosques in Singapore.

WAQAF KASSIM GRAVE

Located at 426 Siglap Road, Singapore 455933.

The term Waqaf Kassim in Singapore refers to the charitable endowment (Waqaf) established by Ahna Mohamed Kassim bin Ally Mohamed in 1921. While the name is most commonly associated with Masjid Kassim in Kembangan, the "Waqaf Kassim Grave" usually refers to the historic Kubur Kassim (Kassim Cemetery) located a short distance away in Siglap.

Ahna Mohamed Kassim, a wealthy Indian Muslim merchant, donated the land for the burial of the Muslim community.

Local legends suggest that the cemetery is frequented by the Orang Bunian (supernatural beings from another dimension). There are even specific plots within the graveyard rumored to be dedicated to them.

Notable Graves at Kubur Kassim

The cemetery houses more than 3,000 graves, including those of prominent pioneers and spiritual figures:

• Khwaja Habibullah Shah: A highly revered Sufi mystic of the Chishti order. His grave is located within a Sufi lodge (Khanqah) inside the cemetery.
• Keramat Sheikh Ali: Another Sufi shrine within the grounds.
• Dr. Hafeezudin Sirajuddin Moonshi: A pioneer who opened the first Muslim-owned clinic in Singapore.
• Che Lembek Binte Abdin: A notable educator and former headmistress of Kampong Glam Girls' School.

Masjid Kassim (Changi Road)

While some people look for "Waqaf Kassim" near the mosque, there are no public graves at the mosque site itself.

• Location: 448 Changi Road (near Kembangan MRT).
• History: The mosque was built on the same Waqaf land provided by Ahna Mohamed Kassim. It serves as the spiritual heart of the endowment, while the Siglap site serves as the final resting place for the community.

31/12/2025: 2.58 a.m