Marang Cemetery

Marang Cemetery
Tanah Perkuburan Marang
The entrance to the Marang Cemetery.
Details
Establishedcirca 1860s
Closedcirca 1920s–1940s
Location
45 Marang Rd, Singapore 099280
CountrySingapore
Coordinates1°16′00″N 103°49′17″E / 1.2666341°N 103.8212769°E / 1.2666341; 103.8212769
TypeMalay, Muslim
Owned bySingapore Land Authority

The Marang Cemetery (Malay: Tanah Perkuburan Marang) is a historic Muslim burial ground located at Telok Blangah, at the foot of Mount Faber in Singapore. Dating back to the 19th century, the cemetery is a remnant of the demolished Marang village which stood in Telok Blangah. It is adjacent to HarbourFront MRT station.

History

A signboard set up outside the cemetery by the Singapore Land Authority to indicate that the site is a burial ground

The cemetery was part of Marang village, an old Malay village located inTelok Blangah.[1][2][3][4] An article from The Straits Times mentions that the cemetery and village were named after a Malay businessman, Ahmad Omar, known by his title Marang.[1][2] When the village was demolished over time, the cemetery was left abandoned.[1][2][3][4]

Some of the graves at the entrance have tombstones wrapped in yellow cloth.

The graves were accidentally rediscovered in 2008 by Sarafian Salleh, a local Malay researcher.[1][2][3] The rediscovery was brought to the attention of ex-villager Rafeah Mohammed Tahir, who provided information on the history of the cemetery and its formerly adjoining village.[1][2]

Burials

In total, there are at least 200 graves in the Marang Cemetery.[3][4]

Prominent burials

The grave of Abdul Halim bin Karto in Marang Cemetery
  • Haji Omar (d. 1866), a leading chief of Kampong Marang.[1][2][5]
  • Haji Ahmad (d. 1920), son of Haji Omar. He was also known by his title "Marang" as he was from Marang, Terengganu.[1][2][5]
  • Abdul Halim bin Karto (d. 1943), former qadi as well as Justice of Peace[1][2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Shedding light on history behind Telok Blangah graves". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Tapak kubur keluarga Marang 'tersembunyi' dalam semak, Berita Singapura - Beritaharian.sg". BeritaHarian (in Malay). 29 September 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Tan, Mattias (12 March 2024). "There's An Abandoned Cemetery Hidden At Mount Faber That Was Forgotten For >20 Years". TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "9 heritage graveyards and cemeteries to visit in Singapore". Time Out Singapore. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  5. ^ a b Singapura, Sejarah. "Haji Ahmad bin Omar : tokoh dan usahawan Melayu Singapura". X-PLORASI (in Malay). Retrieved 7 February 2025.