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Malacca Is Located at A Very Strategic Point As It

Malacca is a historical city located in Malaysia that was an important center for maritime trade. It became a multicultural melting pot as it was a meeting place for traders from China, India, the Middle East, and Western India. Some of Malacca's most notable historical sites include Jonker Street, known for its architecture, heritage buildings, and food; the Melaka Sultanate Palace replica, built to depict the palace during the Sultanate period; and the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, illustrating the unique blend of Chinese and Malay cultures. St. Paul's Church is the oldest church in Malacca, and A Famosa contains the sole remaining gate of a Portuguese fortress built in the 16

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92 views3 pages

Malacca Is Located at A Very Strategic Point As It

Malacca is a historical city located in Malaysia that was an important center for maritime trade. It became a multicultural melting pot as it was a meeting place for traders from China, India, the Middle East, and Western India. Some of Malacca's most notable historical sites include Jonker Street, known for its architecture, heritage buildings, and food; the Melaka Sultanate Palace replica, built to depict the palace during the Sultanate period; and the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, illustrating the unique blend of Chinese and Malay cultures. St. Paul's Church is the oldest church in Malacca, and A Famosa contains the sole remaining gate of a Portuguese fortress built in the 16

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aina
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Desciptive writing

A Historical Place in Malaysia.

Malacca is located at a very strategic point as it is located midway along the


straits of Malacca that linked China to India and Near East. It was positioned as a
center for maritime trade and with that the city grew rapidly. During this period Islam
was introduced by the Gujarati traders from western India. Malacca was a center
trade of silk and porcelain from China; textiles from Gujarat and Coromandel in India;
camphor from Borneo; sandalwood from Timor; nutmeg, mace, and cloves from
Moluccas; gold and pepper from Sumatra; and tin from western Malaya. Many tourist
are aiming to visit Malacca when have the opportunity to come to Malaysia. This is
because there are too many historical places in Malacca which a must to be visited.

One of the most wonderful historical place is Jonker Street. It is the central
boulevard of Chinatown. It is once renowned for its antique shops. However over the
years it has turned to clothing and crafts outlets as well as restaurants. On Friday and
Saturday nights, the street is transformed into the Jonker Walk Night Market a lively
bazaar with hawker food stalls and tourist-friendly stands. Alternatively, traditional
trishaws (becas) can be hired to take you on a nostalgic journey through this historical
site. Jonker Street has always held a special charm in terms of the diverse
European-Asian culture and heritage at this city once known to the world as Malacca.
The renowned street houses some of the country's oldest heritage buildings dating
back to the 17th century. Architecturally influenced by the Portuguese and Dutch, you
will see a beautiful eclectic mix of cultures through this entire area. While Jonker
Street is famous for its architecture and heritage, food is also one of the popular
choices here. A good variety of local food can be found along Jonker Street while
most tend to source for the famous Peranakan or Nyonya food here.

Furthermore, The Melaka Sultanate Palace ( a replica of the Melaka Sultan’s


palace during the period of the Melaka Sultanate known as ‘Istana’) is located at the
foot of St Paul’s Hill, along Jalan Istana. The replica was built in1984 based on
annotations found in the ancient ‘Sejarah Melayu’ (Malay Annals). These historical
documents illustrates the details of architecture and construction of the palace during
the reign of Sultan Mansor Shah( 1456- 1477). It was built with only two types of
hardwood; ‘chengal’ and ‘rasak’, whereas the roof is made of ‘belian’ wood. An

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interesting feature of the building is that no nails were used in its construction apart
from wooden pegs. The Melaka Sultanate Palace houses the Melaka Cultural
Museum and was officiated by former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir
bin Mohamad on 17th July 1986.

Besides, The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum is a living museum located in
Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, a street adjacent to the Jonker Walk. Jalan Tun Tan
Cheng Lock also known as the Millionaire's Row in Melaka. Established in 1896,
the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum was once the family home of the Baba Chan
family known as Rumah Abu. Having been around for more than 100 years, this
heritage building was built during the Dutch occupancy and later bought over by the
Baba Chan family. The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum illustrates the way of living
of the Peranakans at the end of the 19th century, a unique blend of the east and the
west. It also exhibits an archive of beautiful traditional Baba and Nyonya costumes
and a unique bridal chamber.

Next, St. Paul's Church is probably the oldest church in Malacca. It is located at
the St. Paul's Hill .This church was originally a small chapel built by a Portuguese
Captain called Duarto Coelho in 1521 and called "Nosa Senhora - Our Lady of the
Hill". When the Dutch took over Malacca from the Portuguese, they changed its name
to St. Paul's Church and used it for 112 years until they own church, the Christ Church
was completed in 1753. Old tombstones found inside the ruins bear silent testimony
to the final resting place of several Dutch and Portuguese nationals.

Lastly, A Famosa or ‘The Famous’ is one of the oldest surviving remnants of


European architecture in Asia. Once, part of mighty fortress, this tiny gate called The
Porta De Santiago is all that history has spared. In 1511, with the arrival of a
Portuguese fleet under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque, Malacca fell under
the dominion of the Portuguese. Albuquerque quickly decided to consolidate his gains
by having the fort built around a natural hill near the sea. He believed that Malacca
would become an important port linking Portugal to the spice trade from China. The
fortress once consisted of long ramparts and four major towers. One was a four storey
keep, while the other held an ammunition storage room, the residence of the captain
and and officer’s quarters. In 1641, the fort was captured by the Dutch and renovated
the in 1670, which explains the wording “ANNO 1670” inscribed on the gate’s arch.
This gate is also the only remaining piece of the fortress that was spared during the
period when the British took control of Malacca in the early 19th century.

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In conclusion, Malacca is truly one of the Malaysian's pride and honor for its
history as well as unique lifestyles. The rich histories have embraced the culture and
the people that stay in it. Although there are still a lot more of well known places such
as Francis Xavier Church and Kampung Kling Mosque in Malacca that we did not
mention above, no doubt this place deserves to be listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Through Malaysian's heart, Malacca is always the best place to learn
the history while to enjoy variety of special local foods that are only manufactured
there. All in all, we must preserve and maintain the beauty of Malacca so that the
generations of Malaysia can get a glimpse of what left behind by the pasts.

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