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MELAKA
Commanding an important position on the busy sea route between India and China on West Malaysia’s southwestern coast, Melaka was ruled and battled over for centuries between Indian, Portuguese, British and Dutch governments. As a result, this modern day Malaysian city is now one of the best places to visit in Malaysia packed with architecture, culture, traditions and cuisine all reflecting its rich heritage. The Portuguese Settlement in Melaka is characterized by charming villas and the remains of an old fort while the Dutch district features some of the oldest Dutch architecture in the East.
A FAMOSA
The remains of this Portuguese fortress are among the oldest remaining European structures in all of Asia. A Famosa (Porta de Santiago) was built on a seaside hilltop in the early 1500s to protect the newly conquered land from returning to a sultanate or being invaded by other European nations. The hope was to create another Portuguese friendly port along the Spice Route to ease trade for merchant ships delivering between Asia and Europe. It later fell into Dutch hands, and was given to Britain to avoid being conquered by Napoleonic France. Britain feared its power if it were conquered, so chose to destroy it instead of fortifying it further. A single small gate was preserved at the request of Sir Raffles, the founder of Singapore.
MASJID SELAT
Masjid Selat (Malacca Straits Mosque) was created in the early 20th century with a mix of Middle Eastern and Malay architectural styles. Built on manmade Malacca island, it is designed to appear as if it is floating when water levels are high. In traditional Moorish style, much of the outside is white with accents of vibrant color. In this case, large stained-glass archways of yellow and green are one of the main showpieces that accent the mosque. The building is particularly beautiful at night, when a series of colored lights make it one of the most beautiful sights in all of Melaka. The mosque serves as an active and popular place of worship, but also allows public tours.
MALACCA SULTANATE PALACE
This is not the original, but a replica museum that was built in 1984 to showcase the region’s history. The building was built based on the historical descriptions of the palace of Mansur Shah, the sultan who ruled Melaka from 1456 to 1477. The palace has a series of dioramas that depict what a typical day inside the palace probably looked like. Supplicants, guards and vendors flank the main hall, waiting to pay tribute to the sultan and make requests. A scale model of the building and more than 1300 period items make up the rest of this historical museum.
