Enjoying Your Historical Holiday In Melaka - By: Tim Kessler

Choosing to spend your holiday in Melaka would expose you to some of the best historical sites in Malaysia. Melaka is renowned to be the place where it all began and it has one of the most colorful, exciting history in the country. It was here that one of the greatest Malay Sultanates began and it was also here that some of the greatest Malay heroes emerged. What I would like to do here is guide you on some of the best places to visit to experience Malaysia's history at its best on your holiday in Melaka.

Holiday In Melaka: A Brief History

Melaka was only a fishing village once but that all changed in 1400 when an exiled prince called Parameswara from Palembang, Indonesia landed on the shores of Melaka and saw a sign that made it clear to him that this was where he would begin his kingdom. What he saw was a meek, tiny mouse deer take on and beat his hunting dogs. He called his new kingdom Melaka after the tree that he was sitting under when this happened. Soon the tiny village began to flourish under his leadership and gave rise to the first line of Sultans in Melaka.

Melaka grew into one of the largest ports in Asia at the time, attracting trading ships from every part of the world. But this richness also made it a target because in 1511, the Portuguese conquered Melaka. The battle for control for Melaka went on for centuries and the kingdom fell in the hands of the Dutch in 1641 and then was ceded to the British in 1826.

Today, this colorful history can be seen in the ruins around the city which you can visit on your holiday in Melaka.

Holiday In Melaka: Historical Landmarks

Unfortunately, the various conquerors did their best to erase the existence of the one before them and again unfortunately they did a pretty good job about it. But what we do have are replicas and ruins that will give you a good idea of what it was in those days.

Malay Sultanate Legacy

There are a few remnants of the Malay Sultanate Legacy, with the rest of the attractions mainly replicas and reconstructions. Here are some of the more famous ones.

Melaka Sultanate Palace

The Melaka Sultanate Palace is a perfect replica of what the Palace of the Sultans of Melaka would have been after the 1400s. Inside, you will be able to see various aspects of life in those times with mannequins portraying different scenes. A must visit if you want to know more about the Melaka Sultanate.

Hang Tuah's Well

Hang Tuah was the leader of a band of five Malay warriors who were renowned as the protectors of the crown before the foreign occupation. Hang Tuah's Well, located outside of town in Duyong was supposed to be a well that this legendary warrior dug centuries ago.

Portuguese Legacy

A Formosa

The icon of Melaka and probably its most well known structures, A Formosa is the remnants of a large fort that had once encompassed an integral part of St Paul's Hill. The fort was largely destroyed by the later conquerors leaving the fort's entrance behind.

Portuguese Settlement

The most unique treasure in Melaka, the Settlement is home to the descendants of the Portuguese conquerors. What is extremely unique about the settlement is that they have managed to maintain a language and culture that dates back to the 14th century which can no longer be found anywhere else in the world.

Dutch Legacy

Stadhuys

The red buildings close to the Melaka Clocktower were the administrative buildings of the Dutch conquerors. Today, the building houses the main museum of Melaka.

Dutch Graveyard

Just beside the Melaka Sultanate Palace, the graveyard has some of the oldest Dutch graveyards in the country.

British Legacy

When the British occupied Melaka, they largely took over most of the buildings that had already been built by the Portuguese and Dutch. They do however have a few structures that which they have built.

Victoria's Fountain

Standing just beside the Clocktower, the fountain was built in 1904 and is still in perfect working condition to this day.

There are also a couple of other British built structures around this vicinity.

About the Author

These are some of the most famous historical sites that you could start with to understand more about what made this city once stand out in Southeast Asia on your holiday in Melaka.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Tim-Kessler/39251

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