Going up to the hill was bit tricky since you’ll be ascending to steep stairs which were closely inclined to 70-80 degrees . But we took it as a challenge and didn’t back out.
Who would ever quit if you already took a preview of what you can expect from the top? The scruffy look ruins of St. Paul Church impressed us from the distance.
He frequently visited St. Paul’s Church and used it as his base for missionary trips to China and Japan. He died during his mission in China and his body brought to Melaka and interred in the St. Paul’s Church for nine months before his remains were buried in Goa, India.
Guess, what is different from the statue of St. Francis Xavier in the image above? If you had seen it and pondering why is it so. Well, according to in wiki, a large tree fell and broke its right arm. It took us some time to realize before we switch on our inquisitive eyes.
You’ll be astounded when you closely see the ruins of St. Paul. Its physical appearance will tell you many centuries she stood there. The church erected on Malacca Hill before it was renamed to Mary’s hill then St. Paul’s Hill. It was originally a small chapel when the Portuguese Captain Duarto Coelho built it in 1521.
It was called the Chapel of the Mother of God (Madre de Deus) or our Lady of the Hill. It did go through some renovations and the Tower was added in 1590. When the Dutch kicked Portuguese out from Melaka, they destroyed all the buildings except the Fortress and this Church. The Dutch reconsecrated it and turned it into a Dutch Reformed Church and name it St. Paul’s Church which is used until this date.
 |
When the British took over Melaka from the Dutch they used the Church as a storehouse of their gunpowder. They built a lighthouse as picture shown above which still standing until the present date.
Inside the ruins, all you can see were tombstones, old bricks in which the wall is made of. I forgot to mention it was flooded by a tourist in or outside the ruins.
St. Paul church was well preserved and found it amusing for a historical aficionado like Sky.
When Sky went to the inner room of the ruins, he felt mystified as he discovered it was a chamber of old tombstones. He then recalled that St. Paul Church was a burial vault for people of high distinctions during the Portuguese and Dutch occupation.
What he saw were tombstones attached to the walls with Portuguese and Dutch inscriptions on it. Mostly when people find tombstones they find it eerie or ghastly but this one was very enlightening.
 |
He could easily identify of which was from Portuguese or from Dutch by merely looking the names and year on the inscription. Can you guess from the picture above if its from Portuguese or Dutch tombstone?
When the primary kids mostly likely having an educational tour crowding up the inner ruins. We left and a took a rest outside. Everyone will catch the attention of this century-old tree just beside St. Paul ruins. Surely it witnessed how the church was transformed into ruins.
We forgot we haven’t told you that St. Paul Church stood on a hill that gives you 360-degree view of Melaka.
The Melaka ( Malacca) strait as viewed from the St. Paul’s Hill. Those Red roofs were Townhouses and commercial buildings. This is the view when Sky was appalled and took a pause before he reached the top.
View of the city with the Communication tower and Renaissance Hotel of Melaka from a distance.
 |
| Manju and Sky |
Of course, we’ll take the opportunity of the panoramic view of Melaka Strait and Towering Taming Sari. Captcha!
St. Paul Church ruins were definitely worth visiting and steep climbing was really worth it. Can we do it next time?
Historical City Wanderers,
Summer and Sky
This is part of our Melaka Trip Series
01 Restrospecting Melaka an Overview
What to Do
02 Finding road to Melaka
03 Historical Sites and Museums
04 St. Paul Hill and Church
05 A Famosa
06 Melaka Sultanate Palace
07 Jonker Walk
08 Vibrant Night of Historical Melaka
09 Flor de la Mar
10 St. Francis Xavier Church
11 Bukit Cina and Poh San Teng Temple
12 Melaka Zoo
13 Melaka River Cruise
Where to Eat
14 Foodie Trail
15 Jonker 88
Where to Stay
16 Temporary Abode: L’Armada Guesthouse
Wow nice place!! ohh malaysia! 🙂 Love the photos. and that view from the hill is truly beautiful!
Thanks Shugah! Truly, The Melaka Strait is the best view we had seen from a hill.
melaka!!! A fusion of great cultures! I'm loving the old structures 🙂
Thanks by dropping Edmar. Indeed, they have Portuguese, Dutch, Arabian, Chinese, Indian influences. It's like visiting multiple countries in one site.
Greetings! I know this is kinda off topic
however I'd figured I'd ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or
maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa?
My site addresses a lot of the same topics as yours and I feel we could greatly
benefit from each other. If you happen to be interested feel free to
send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!
Awesome blog by the way!
Also visit my web-site – Bangkok attractions