The Syrian Christians, sometimes referred to as Nasranis, are one of the oldest Christian communities in the world and trace their origins back to the arrival of St Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, to Muziris in Kerala, India in 52 AD. Various denominations exist within the Syrian Christians such as the Mar Thomites, Jacobites, Orthodox and others. Syrian Christians are mainly Malayalees who originally came from Kerala in India. The Syrian Christians arrived in Singapore and Malaya during the early 20th century and established the Mar Thoma Syrian Church (1936), St Thomas School (1955), St Thomas Orthodox Cathedral (1929) and St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Cathedral (2007). The white cassock with a black rope belt is the regular clothing of the priest of the Marthoma church in his official role.
