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St. Paul's Church Ruins, Melaka
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St. Paul's Church Ruins, Melaka

St. Paul's Church Ruins, Melaka - Melaka
St. Paul's Church Ruins, Melaka
by gypsysoul73
St. Paul's Church Ruins tips and photos posted by real travelers and Melaka locals.
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St. Paul's Church Ruins: A Portuguese Church On Top a Hill
  • Tip Rating:
    • bpacker
  • Updated By bpacker on July 4, 2005
  • Melaka Page by bpacker
    • Singing amongst the ruins, a busker in St Paul's - Melaka
    Singing amongst the ruins, a
    busker in St Paul's
    by bpacker
    Other than the Protestant Christ Church in Melaka, there lies another ancient church on top a hill. Built by the Portuguese in 1521, the church later fell into disrepair when it became a fort under the Dutch and a storage area under the British. Though it lies there as an empty shell now, the ruins of St Paul's is still worth taking a look due to the beautiful hill scenary and the ancient funenary stone slabs.

    As I mentioned, the church of St Paul's is just a shell and used for other purposes other than worship. Busking is one such activity. Note the ancient funenary slabs beside the busker. Most of it is written in Dutch.

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  • Directions: On top of St. Paul's Hill.
  • Website: http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Melaka/guide_stpaul.htm
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: The Portuguese Church on top of the Hill
  • Tip Rating:
    • bpacker
  • Updated By bpacker on July 4, 2005
  • Melaka Page by bpacker
    • The Shell of St Paul's Church - Melaka
    The Shell of St Paul's Church
    by bpacker
    As I mentioned, the ruins of St Paul's Church is nothing more than a shell now. But when when it was built in 1521, it was a gathering point for the Catholic Portuguese parishioners who settled in Melaka. Interestingly, it was built by a Portuguese Sea Captain, Duarte Coelho, in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving his life in the South China Sea. So logically speaking, after the church was built it was called "The Lady of the Hill" . It was only called St Paul's after the Dutch siege in the 1600s. Another point of interest over here is the wire-mashed area that used to house the remains of St Francis Xavier. The body ( still incorruptible after hundreds of years ) is in Goa, India today. Click here to read the story of the saint.

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  • Directions: On top of St. Paul's Hill.
  • Website: http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Melaka/guide_stpaul.htm
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: St Paul's Church
  • Tip Rating:
    • ukirsari
  • By ukirsari on March 30, 2004
  • Melaka Page by ukirsari
    • st paul's ruins (c) ukirsari - Melaka
    st paul's ruins (c)
    ukirsari
    by ukirsari
    Built at 1571 by the Portuguese and regularly visited by St Francis Xavier from China. His statue also standing still in the front of this ruins. Hardly imagine that the place for worshippers changed to be gunpowder storage by the British army.

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  • Address: St Paul's Hill
  • Directions: Easy to find, next to the Stadthuys
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: Statue of St Francis Xavier
  • Tip Rating:
    • ukirsari
  • Updated By ukirsari on March 26, 2004
  • Melaka Page by ukirsari
    • st francis xavier (c) ukirsari - Melaka
    st francis xavier (c)
    ukirsari
    by ukirsari
    Peaceful face with cutted right hand ... This is a statue of a holyman who visit Melaka continuously from China and when passed away, his body interred in St. Paul's Church within 9 months before transffered to Goa [India].

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  • Address: St Paul's Hill
  • Directions: Step up from Stadthuys to St Paul's hill
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: Old Dutch tombstones in St Paul's church
  • Tip Rating:
    • ukirsari
  • By ukirsari on March 30, 2004
  • Melaka Page by ukirsari
    • old tombstones at st paul (c) ukirsari - Melaka
    old tombstones at st paul
    (c) ukirsari
    by ukirsari
    These kind of tombstones, remind me with Taman Prasasti [open-air museum in Jakarta ~ I put in my Jakarta travelogue] in my country. It's about Dutch tombstones from 17s and dedicated, mostly to the soldiers.

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  • Address: St Paul's Hill
  • Directions: Step up, next to the Stadthuys
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: Ruins of the St. Paul's Church
  • Tip Rating:
    • mansionion
  • By mansionion on May 9, 2004
  • Melaka Page by mansionion
    • Ruins of the St. Paul's Church - Melaka
    Ruins of the St. Paul's Church
    by mansionion
    On top of St. Paul's Hill is the ruins of St. Paul's Church, once a chapel of the Portuguese Catholics called "Our Lady of the Hill" and was built by Portuguese Captain Duerte Coelho. The ruins overlooking the sea was later renamed by the Dutch as St Paul's Church after they took over Melaka and used it as a place of worship until Christ Church was completed.

    On the grounds of the church lie many graves of Dutch noblemen, the tombstones have Latin and Portuguese inscriptions on them. The remains of St Francis Xavier was buried here briefly in 1553 before it was shipped back to India, what remain now is the plot of his grave inside the ruins of the church.

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  • Directions: On top of St. Paul's Hill.
  • Website: http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Melaka/guide_stpaul.htm
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: St Pauls church ruins.
  • Tip Rating:
    • Designerartgirl
  • By Designerartgirl on March 4, 2005
  • Melaka Page by Designerartgirl
    • St Pauls - Melaka
    St Pauls
    by Designerartgirl
    St Pauls is set in a very nice location, overlooking mahkota raya, a'famosa and from there you can also see the sultanate palance and many other places. Well worth the trek up the hill just for the view.

    The actual ruins are not much to look at by western standards but are some of the most historical buildings in malaysia and are wortha a quick look.

    The hill on the way up is full of all sorts of people, from those wanting to draw your portrait to those who want to sell you malaysian tourist kitch.

    It was first built in 1521 by the portuguse as a small chapel was famed by Sir Francis Xaviers visits. This church was later inlarged into two storeys and a tower was added. Following that, it was taken over by the dutch and then finally the english. Both of which let the church fall into ruins, as it wasnt used for much other than a store for gunpowder.

    This church has been in ruins for more than 150 years

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  • Address: Next to stadthuys.
  • Directions: On top of St. Paul's Hill.
  • Website: http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Melaka/guide_stpaul.htm
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: St. Paul's Church
  • Tip Rating:
    • kenmerk
  • By kenmerk on June 18, 2003
  • Melaka Page by kenmerk
    • St. Paul's Church, Melaka - Melaka
    St. Paul's Church, Melaka
    by kenmerk
    The most scenic spot in Mekala is up the hill to the ruins of St. Paul's Church, which was originally built by the Portuguese in 1521.

    The church fell into disuse once the Dutch took over Melaka, and later the site was used to build a lighthouse by the British.

    Nice shady area to catch a good view of Melaka and the surrounding areas.

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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: st. paul's church
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    • eelaine
  • By eelaine on June 19, 2003
  • Melaka Page by eelaine
    • tombstone inside st. paul's church - Melaka
    tombstone inside st.
    paul's church
    by eelaine
    the st paul's church sits on the hill just behind the a'famosa fotress.. it was a portugese catholic church for prayers.. later, after the dutch invasion, it was turned into a burial for the noble dead including st. francis xavier before his body was moved to goa in india.. although much of the structure have been destroyed, there are still tombstones with latin inscriptions on them displayed around the church structure..

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  • Directions: on top of st. paul's hill..
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    St. Paul's Church Ruins: ST PAUL'S RUINS
  • Tip Rating:
    • aussiejen
  • By aussiejen on August 4, 2005
  • Melaka Page by aussiejen
    • St Paul's Church - Melaka
    St Paul's Church
    by aussiejen
    When visiting Malacca make sure you make the effort to visit this historic site. It is worth the walk up the hill in the heat. This is the original burial site of St. Francis Xavier. The views from here are superb too.

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  • Phone: Website:
  • Directions: On top of St. Paul's Hill.
  • Website: http://www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Melaka/guide_stpaul.htm
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