Armenian Street in Singapore?

Q. I was browsing on Google Maps looking different countries with "Armenia" in it... and I found an "Armenian Street" in Singapore! Now, I'm not doubting that there could be Armenians there, but does anyone know why it's called Armenian Street? This is really interesting.
Thanks!

A. Armenian Street (Singapore) was named after the nearby Armenian Church (aka Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illuminator). Built in 1835-36, this is the oldest church in S'pore, & has been gazetted as a national monument since 1973.

Already extant before the church, the street later ran along one-third of the church's boundary, & was originally known as Armenian Church Street, before the name was shortened to its present-day moniker. The other side of the church is bounded by Hill Street. Loke Yew Street (a by-lane beside the church) connects Armenian Street to Hill Street.

Below are some archival photos of the mentioned sites.

* Armenian Street (Armenian Church in background), circa 1900:
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?id=3158&thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=armenian+street&photographOption=1&Submit=Submit

* Armenian Church, 1962: http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?id=670083&thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=armenian+street&photographOption=1&Submit=Submit&pageNumber=2&total=482
* Armenian Church frontage, 2010: http://pictures.nl.sg/8ab41f0d-7678-4988-9170-f6ed0c4b60d1.aspx

* Armenian Street with old shophouses, late 1980s:
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?id=670426&thesaurusFlag=Y&simpleSearch=armenian+street&photographOption=1&Submit=Submit&pageNumber=2&total=482

* Armenian Street (at corner of Loke Yew Street), 1992:
http://pictures.nl.sg/fd2e3134-d5f4-4a2c-907a-008cc6850439.aspx

* Hill Street area with Armenian Church, 1993 aerial:
http://pictures.nl.sg/9d19baaf-872d-4935-bfc5-d2dc59b6c403.aspx


Like many streets in colonial S'pore, Armenian Street had its own unofficial colloquial name. The Chinese-Hokkiens called it "Seng Poh sin chu au" -- transliteration: Seng Poh's new house rear, ie. the back-end of Seng Poh's new house. Tan Seng Poh (1830-1879), a Peranakan-Chinese born in Perak Malaysia, was a wealthy spirit merchant & opium farmer who became the first Chinese person to serve on the Municipal Commission of S'pore.

Previously, there was also a street called Armenian Lane, located off Armenian Street & Narcis Road (no longer extant). Armenian Lane was expunged due to development works.

Note: In the past, there was a separate Narcis Street located off Tanjong Pagar Road. Today, a portion of this street survives as an unnamed lane at Vanda Miss Joaquim Park behind Tanjong Pagar Complex. Narcis Road & Narcis Street were named after Nerses (aka Narcis) Joaquim, the eldest brother of *Agnes Joaquim -- see the brief biography below.


Brief Background of S'pore's Armenian Community
The founding of modern S'pore back in 1819 was followed by an influx of traders & immigrants, one of whom included a small community of Armenians (numbering some 100 people in the 1820s). Today, the church grounds contain the tombstones of prominent ethnic Armenians, such as:

* Agnes Joaquim (1854-1899, born & died in S'pore) -- An amateur gardener who discovered a new orchid hybrid (now known as Vanda Miss Joaquim) growing in her home garden. This terrestrial orchid hybrid was selected as S'pore's national flower in 1981.

* Sarkies brothers -- Famous merchants & hoteliers, who built & managed a chain of luxury hotels in parts of Asia, including the historic Raffles Hotel (Singapore)


Further Reading from S'pore Infopedia (managed by the National Library Board):-
* Armenian Street: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_284_2004-12-23.html
* Armenian Church: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_809_2004-12-23.html
* Armenians (in S'pore): http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_334_2005-01-26.html
* Agnes Joaquim: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_838_2004-12-24.html

Travelling to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Phuket how much £££?

Q. i am travelling to Kuala Lumpur Phuket and Singpore with my partner for a week each at the end of August and was wondering how much money we should expect to spend?

Also, has any one stayed at the following Hotels:
Bursari Patong, Phuket?
JW Marriott Phuket?
The Traders Kuala Lumpur?
Mandarin Oriental Singapore?

Thanks!!!

A. If you don't take into account accomodations, you can get away with surprisingly little. Of course that depends on your spending habits. If you eat and travel like locals, 15pounds a day per person is plenty enough in KL, Phuket and Singapore. The best food is street food (or hawker food) in all three of these places anyway.

If you plan to eat in restaurants and travel by cabs - Cab fare in Thailand is generally cheap, averaging no more than 150baht. Remember to ask them to turn on the meter, some cab drivers charge a higher flat rate. Tuk-tuks are aplenty too but they're asking for more money in recent years..rides in Patong I heard, have gone up to 200baht! (It was 100baht when I last when 2 years ago). Some hotels might have a service bus to more commercial beaches like Patong. Eating out in restaurants will probably cost 10pounds per person.

Same in KL. Cab fares are cheap (I do not trust the buses in KL) Shopping is okay too, and a meal at a relatively nice restaurant will be about 10pounds, as compared to a meal had at a hawker centre - 1pound per person. Beware Petaling Street though. Well known tourist rip-off.

Singapore, cab fares are alot pricier compared to KL and Phuket, But the public transportation is superb. Take the buses and the trains. Eat in food courts and hawker centres and you will not spend more than 15pounds a day. If you're staing in Mandarin Oriental though, you'll probably spend more, it's right in the heart of Orchard Road - shopping stretch which means more temptation, and hawker food is not so easily available. Plenty of food courts in the shopping malls nearby though. It's a really nice hotel.

Traders in KL is pretty good too. And if I can judge Marriot Phuket by the one in Bangkok, it's superb. Can't help with the rest though.

anyone know how to take a bus from jalan ipoh to KLCC? Anyone can help me? I m not local...so i need ur help!?

Q.

A. you may board the rapidKL bus to get to KLCC from Jalan Ipoh. at Jalan Ipoh, just board the rapidKL bus route no U3, U4, U6, U7, U8, U11, U13 or U14 at Jalan Ipoh & disembark at Titiwangsa LRT station. all of the above buses will stops at Titiwangsa LRT station which is the final destination. the bus fare is only RM 2.00 for their trunk (UTAMA) service.

at Titiwangsa LRT station, you need to board the rapidKL bus route no B103 or B114. these buses will bypass KLCC on their way to the respective destinations & the bus fare is also RM 2.00 for their city shuttle (BANDAR) service.

summary of rapidKL bus route destinations:

B103 : Titiwangsa LRT - KLCC LRT - Bukit Bintang KL Monorail

- TITIWANGSA LRT < from rapidKL bus route no U3, U4, U6, U7, U8, U11, U13 or U14
- Jalan Ipoh
- Damai Specialist Hospital
- Chow Kit KL Monorail
- Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz
- Kuala Lumpur Hospital
- Stadium Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz
- Menara TH Selborn
- Jalan Tun Razak
- Empire Tower
- Jalan Ampang
- Ampang Park LRT
- Nikko Hotel
- Menara Naluri
- Wisma Central
- Avenue K
- KLCC LRT < disembark here
- Petronas Twin Towers
- Bangunan Angkasaraya
- Wisma Selangor Dredging
- Malaysian Tourism Centre
- Renaissance Hotel
- Jalan Sultan Ismail
- Bukit Nanas KL Monorail
- Concorde Hotel
- Jalan P Ramlee
- Kuala Lumpur Tower
- Jalan Raja Chulan
- The Weld
- Wisma Lim Foo Yong
- Istana Hotel
- The Pavilion
- Jalan Bukit Bintang
- The Westin Kuala Lumpur
- Kuala Lumpur Plaza
- Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur
- Jalan Sultan Ismail
- Sungei Wang Plaza
- BUKIT BINTANG KL MONORAIL

B114 : Titiwangsa LRT - Jalan Tun Razak - KLCC LRT - Jalan Cheras - Maluri LRT

- TITIWANGSA LRT < from rapidKL bus route no U3, U4, U6, U7, U8, U11, U13 or U14
- Jalan Tun Razak
- Flat Pekeliling
- Istana Budaya
- Hospital Pusrawi
- Institut Jantung Negara (IJN)
- National Library
- Menara TH Selborn
- Empire Tower
- Jalan Ampang
- Ampang Park LRT
- Ampang Park
- Nikko Hotel
- Menara Naluri
- Wisma Central
- KLCC LRT < disembark here
- Jalan P Ramlee
- Jalan Pinang
- Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
- MNI Twin Towers
- Traders Hotel
- Menara Exxon Mobil
- Persiaran Mobil
- The Binjai On The Park
- Lorong Kuda
- Desa Kudalari
- Jalan Tun Razak
- Bangunan Tabung Haji
- Singapore High Commission
- Indonesian Embassy
- RHB Centre
- Wisma Indah
- Jalan Cheras
- Kuala Lumpur City View
- Payathin Food Court
- Klinik DBKL
- Balai Polis Cheras
- Jusco Taman Maluri
- Jalan Cheras
- MALURI LRT

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