Keramat Iskandar Shah

In January 1822, British colonial authorities reported the existence of tombs belonging to "Malay kings" located on the surface of Fort Canning, however they did not identify the tombs nor were the tombs said to be religious sites. It was in February of the same year that John Crawfurd, during his stay in Singapore, would provide the first information about the existence of the shrine as well as identify it as being the tomb of Sultan Iskandar Shah; Crawfurd described it as a "rude structure" visited by not only Muslims but also the Hindus present in the area. By 1971, the shrine was described as being a stone shed with a zinc roof, attached to a hut that served as a mosque. However by 1975, most of the facilities including the mosque were removed from the shrine. Between 1970–1989 a cenotaph was built over the grave which still exists to this day. Keramat Iskandar Shah was rebuilt in the 1990s into a pavilion-like form which is the current appearance of the shrine. The building soon lost its status as a religious shrine and instead gained the status of being a mere monument; any religious activities were forbidden from being conducted at the site. == Historicity ==

No evidence of the shrine containing a burial has been found and it is unclear how it became associated with the semi-legendary Malay king Iskandar Shah, who is believed to have been buried in Malacca. However, as a keramat is only a shrine, it has been theorized this was only a memorial and not the actual burial place of the Malay king. However, no evidence was given for this claim, and Abu Talib al-Makki is reported to have died in 996 CE in Baghdad, not in Singapore. Identity of Iskandar Shah The identity of Sultan Iskandar Shah has been disputed with the Malay traditions that state it was the name of Parameswara after having converted to Islam. Some have also identified Iskandar Shah as being Megat Iskandar Shah, the son of Parameswara. While there have been theories that the Chinese court may have confused Parameswara with his son, others argue that it would not be possible for the same court to not be able to differentiate between Parameswara and his son, the latter who was a more common visitor. Archaeological discoveries Excavations around Keramat Iskandar Shah in the 1980s uncovered artifacts including old porcelain shards and coins from the Tang dynasty. All of the artifacts discovered around the shrine are identified as being produced in China. == Architecture ==

Keramat Iskandar Shah is a wooden pavilion with a tiled roof. It has a square base of 12x12 metres. The stone cenotaph built on top of the grave sits on a raised platform in the center of the structure. Formerly, the shrine was a much larger structure built out of stone with a zinc roof that contained a prayer hall but all of these facilities have since disappeared by 1975. == See also ==