# Travel >> Destinations >> Asia

What was Singapore called before Stanford raffles took it?

Singapore was known as Temasek before Stamford Raffles took it. The name Temasek is believed to have originated from the Javanese word "Tasek", meaning lake or sea, and "Mas", meaning gold or precious. It was first mentioned in the 14th century by the Majapahit Empire, which ruled over much of Southeast Asia at the time.
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