Keramat Iskandar ...

Keramat Iskandar Shah stands on Fort Canning Hill in Singapore, formerly known as Bukit Larangan before colonial rule. The hill holds one of Singapore’s oldest architectural structures. John Crawfurd described the site as a rough structure in 1822. People told him that Iskandar Shah, Singapura’s last king, was interred there after ruling during the late fourteenth century.

After Majapahit forces sacked Singapura, Iskandar Shah fled and established the Melaka Sultanate. Most records place his burial near Melaka, where he likely died, leaving the Bukit Larangan claim unresolved. Archaeological excavations found no identifying clues, though they confirmed ancient inhabitants occupied the area. A keramat need not be a tomb, so the site may honour Iskandar Shah without marking his grave.

Photographs show structures changing across different periods, while the shelter standing today dates from the 1990s. The place remains an active religious site and a point of veneration.