Cloisonne | All Kinds Collectibles

Chinese Cloisonne

March 8th, 2009 admin 304 comments

Chinese Cloisonne

Shopping on Arab Street

Nothing can beat Arab Street, Singapore for true bazaar style shopping. The street is literally a hive of activity during business hours as vendors display their wares and shoppers jostle amongst each other looking for the best bargain. These tiny shops are treasure roves of unexpected discovery and you can haggle to your hearts content for a prized souvenir or an enchanting trinket. Everything from antiques to clothing can be bought here, Arab Street feels as if its caught in a time warp as the colourful goods spill out onto the street in an authentic representation of what a market in Singapore was like almost 200 years ago.

Amongst the items for sale are cane goods such as baskets, bags, hats and even furniture. These items have a strangely ethnic feel to them and make you feel as if you were shopping in a Middle Eastern flea market. Other interesting items include Camel skin handbags, intricate jewelry boxes and cloisonné boxes. Arab Street is also the centre of the country’s Muslim community and shops selling goods such as the traditional male headgear known as songkok, the Islamic holy book the Quran, prayer mats and other religious goods are abound.

From a historical standpoint Arab Street was a residential area where Muslims belonging to different ethnicities such as Arab, Javanese, Indian and Bugis lived during the 19th century. It was named after the wealthy Arab merchant Syed Ali bin Mohamed Al Junied and was the centre of the country’s textile retail industry. Even today the mainstay of shopping in Arab Street will involve plush Oriental carpets imported from the Middle East and different types of fabric ranging from Chinese silks to Indian saris.

Visitors to this area can also enjoy a variety of cuisine ranging from Arab delicacies such as kebabs, Yemeni puddings and mint to Malay favourites like mee goreng and nasi goreng. Located in the centre of the busy city, it would not be difficult to locate a Singapore hotel in close proximity to Arab Street. When choosing a hotel in Singapore it is important to stay at a Singapore hotel that offers great accommodation as well as access to the city’s attractions.

About the Author

Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing agency that offers integrated Internet marketing solutions and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry. (http://www.emarketingeye.com/ )