Archive for January, 2006
Pictures of The Stadthuys at Flickr
Dutch Square, also known as The Stadthuys, was once a centre of the Dutch administration in Melaka and housed the quarters of its governors and officers. This red building was built between 1641 and 1660 on the ruins of a Portuguese fort, by using bricks imported from Zecland, and is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East.
At the Dutch Square area with full of red-color buildings, a number of trishaws are readily available to serve you a memorable ride. Due to the massive number of red-painted buildings, the Dutch Square is also informally known as “red houses”.
If you are looking for a trishaw ride, a number of nicely decorated trishaws are lining up at The Stadthuys to serve you at the best.
The notable historical landmarks surrounding the Dutch Square are the Christ Church, Queen Victoria’s Fountain, and Malacca Clock Tower. The Queen Victoria’s Fountain was built in 1904 by the British in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s 60th anniversary of coronation. On the other hand, the Malacca Clock Tower was built in 1886 in honour of a successful Chinese tycoon named Tan Beng Swee.
GPS Coordinate: N2.19439 E102.24907
January 28th, 2006
Pictures of Porta de Santiago at Flickr
The Porta de Santiago is one of the four main gates of the A Famosa fortress. It was built by the Portuguese in 1512 under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque, the leader of the Portuguese army that seized Malacca in 1511. For almost 150 years, this magnificent fort had successfully protected the Portuguese position in Melaka, until it was overrun by the Dutch. It was damaged during the attack, but the Dutch later repaired and renamed it VOC with an embossed emblem. But unfortunately what is left until today is nothing more than a gateway called Porta de Santiago.
During the age of Dutch occupation in Melaka, the Porta de Santiago was not only renamed to VOC, but reconstructed to bear the coat of arms of the Dutch East India Company as well. Until today, the company crest is still significantly seen on the gateway.
Practically all the visitors coming to Melaka will schedule a visit to the Porta de Santiago. This gateway is such a significant symbol in Melaka that your traveling trip to Melaka is never considered worthy without complemented with a visit to Porta de Santiago. After all, Porta de Santiago has accompanied the historic Melaka throughout its glorious days, to the time when the Sultanate cosmopolitan empire faded its status, following up by foreign colonization in Malaya, till today that Melaka has been part of the independent nation Malaysia for tens of years.
The Porta de Santiago is situated at the foot of St. Paul’s Hill of Bandar Hilir, and directly facing the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall.
Santiago Bastion is Unearthed?
In the initial construction stage of Dataran Pahlawan, the Department of Museums and Antiquities (JMA) had started an initial rescue excavation to salvage any significant artifacts. Interestingly and surprisingly, the remains of Santiago Bastion, one of four gateways of Malacca Fort which was thought to have been destroyed by the British in 1807, are unearthed!
The Badan Warisan Malaysia (Heritage of Malaysia Trust) has published an article to summarize the possible discovery of the Santiago Bastion. Click here to find out further information.
Nearest Hotel
A Famosa Fortress is located within walking distance from Hotel Equatorial Melaka, one of the popular Melaka hotels.
GPS Coordinate: N2.19190 E102.25036
January 28th, 2006
The Historical City of Melaka (also known as Malacca in English language) is a city with a glorious past hidden behind each façade of the centuries-old buildings where the history of Malaysia began. Nowadays, Malacca hosts a wide and interesting collection of a diversified culture, a unique blend of Eastern and Western architecture and a rich background of history. Malacca was once the cradle of modern civilization in a multinational society and the center of trade in the region that was even envied by the Europeans. Now it is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Malaysia.
Every step you take down the narrow winding roads, there will be a piece of historical treasure waiting to be discovered or a captivating story waiting to be told. Malacca being the second smallest state in Malaysia, is undoubtedly the wealthiest when it comes to historic value, culture and cuisine. Malacca’s ‘live’, or rather, preservation of historical artifacts and architecture make it so much easier and interesting for one to learn and absorb. Let’s take a literal stroll down memory lane because here is where it all began.
Naming an Empire After a Tree
According to the legend, Malacca was founded in 1396 by Prince Parameswara from a dying ancient kingdom of Srivijaya. Parameswara came to Temasik (Singapore), killed the ruler who paid tribute to Siam (today’s Thailand) and reigned there for five years until the Siamese drove him out. Parameswara was out hunting one day and while resting under a tree, one of his dogs cornered a mouse-deer and in defense, the mouse-deer kicked the dog smartly on its nose. Paramswara was so impressed by the mouse-deer’s courage and also believing what he saw as a good omen, he decided to build his empire on that sacred land and named it after the tree he was resting under, which was the “Melaka” tree. Incidentally, he was the first Malay prince to become Muslim and inevitably, Islam became the official religion.
The Cosmopolitan Empire
By the end of the 15th century, Malacca had become a great trading empire as well as a rendezvous for every seafaring nation - Arabs, Indians, South Americans, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and English. Here, gold, silk, tea, opium, tobacco, spices, perfumes and countless other items and natural resources were traded or exchanged. The Portuguese were the first to rule in 1511, followed by the Dutch in 1641 and British in 1824. Each ruler left its mark behind to be forged and blended into a new and unique mix. The day came in August 31st 1957, when Malacca, together with the other states of Malaya, achieved independence. The historical melting pot of cultures and races has every much influenced the architectural designs of homes and buildings in Malacca today.
As history evolved, Malacca became the city that boasts a wonderful mixture of cultures - Malays, Chinese, Indians, the Chittys, the Babas and Nyonyas and the Portuguese. And here, in Old Malacca is where it all happened.
Take a journey into the heart of Malacca and discover 600 years of glorious and colourful past. It is definitely a state that is not to be missed when you’re in Malaysia.
Visit Historic Malacca Means Visit Malaysia
Part of the contents are sourced from Tourism Promotion Division of Malacca Chief Minister’s Department
January 27th, 2006
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