Object size: 91.0 x 122.0 x 3.5 cm
This painting depicts Bussorah Street in the 1970s during the Hajj season, with 'Hajj' referring to the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca undertaken by the global Muslim population and which takes place once a year. The painting is a composite of both documented as well as imagined scenes of the hubbub that took place in the area, as well as in the wider Kampong Gelam precinct, as a result of the concentration of trades, shops and lodging houses that were dedicated to the Hajj in this area. Shortly after the period depicted by this painting, commercial flights to Jeddah became increasingly more affordable, making it a preferred option for pilgrims performing the Hajj. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the majority of pilgrims from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia began travelling to Jeddah by air instead. As such, Kampong Gelam was no longer an essential stopover point for prospective pilgrims from the region.