Not too long ago, I paid my first visit to Kampong Glam. You know, the area encompassing Arab Street, Bali Lane, Bussorah Street and the biggest mosque in Singapore – Sultan Mosque, or Masjid Sultan.

Sultan Mosque

Whether it’s exploring the shophouses and cafés or sipping a hot mug of teh tarik (“pulled” tea), there is a certain charm about this area that keeps me coming back again and again. Recently, I took a walk within Sultan Mosque itself and learned something interesting about the building.

A certain part of the mosque is made of a very unconventional object. Can you guess which part of the building and what material it is? Hint: it is a recycled object that can be found in a kitchen.

If you already know what it is, shhh! For those of you who are done guessing, read the rest of this post for the answer!

Golden dome of the Sultan Mosque

Look carefully at the black strip that follows beneath the golden dome of the mosque. It is made up of multiple neat rows and columns of a certain object!

They are soy sauce bottles! Can you believe it?

I’m thinking a lot of cement must have gone into the bottles and the surrounding gaps for them to be able to withstand the strain and weight of the shiny dome.

Ta-da! And that’s your interesting trivia for the day! Betcha didn’t know that, did ya?