This is possibly one of the oldest colonial period sites in Singapore. Prior to the arrival of Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles in 1819, a village was already established in this vicinity and early accounts refer to this settlement as Ryat Village. Sultan Hussein, whom Raffles recognized as the royal heir of Singapore erected his palace on this plot. Hussein’s son Sultan Ali reportedly constructed the present building around c.1840. The redevelopment of the Istana Kampong Gelam between 2000 and 2003 enabled a community dig to take place and the project collected about half a ton of materials.