Founded in 1786 on the north-east corner of Penang Island, by Captain Francis Light, a trader for the British East India Company,, as base for the company in the Malay States. George Town is a living testimony to the multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia, and European colonial influences. Together with Melaka, it was designated in 2008 as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even if Kapitan Keling Mosque, built in the 19th century by Indian Muslim traders, isn't part of the site, it is arguably the best known mosque in Penang. Kelingis a Malay term for people of Indian origin, nowadays considered offensive but not so considered at the time when the mosque was built. The Kapitanwas a representative of the Indian community, like the Kapitan China for the Chinese community.
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