In anticipation of visiting Malacca, Malaysia during an upcoming cruise we are taking, we did a little background research.
Malacca (known as Melaka in Malay) is located in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Straits of Malacca.
Malacca City is the capital of the Malaysian state of Malacca. Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
These are 16 Fun Facts About Malacca, Malaysia
1. Malacca, the third smallest state in Malaysia, is located about 150 miles north of Singapore.
2. Malacca was founded by Parameswara, the last king of Singapura who ruled from 1389 to 1398, and then fled after an invasion in 1398. He found a good port strategically located narrowest point of the Malacca Straits, where he established Malacca in 1402.
3. The Portuguese captured Malacca is 1511 when General Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1200 men and seventeen or eighteen ships. (This was one year after the Portuguese had captured Goa.)
4. Then in 1641, with the help of the Sultan of Johore, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese, and then ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798.
5. Under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the Dutch ceded Malacca to the British in in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra.
The canal-like river that flows through the historic center of Malacca City. Photo by Bjí¸rn Christian Tí¸rrissen
6. The British ruled Malacca between 1826 and 1946, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony. Along with Singapore and Penang, Malacca was part of the Straits Settlements. After the dissolution of this crown colony, Malacca and Penang became part of the Malayan Union, which later became the Federation of Malaya and eventually Malaysia.
7. The state of Malacca is 642 square miles in size, with a population of 821,110 (as of 2010) with 63 percent Malays, 25 percent Chinese, 6 percent Indians, and small communities of Kristang (people with partial Portuguese ancestry) and a small community of Eurasians with Dutch ancestry.
8. The majority religion of Malacca is Muslim (66 percent) with nearly 25 percent Buddhist, 5 percent Hindu, and 3 percent Christian.
9. The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and the Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum are the two best-known museums of Malacca.
A decorated bicycle rickshaw in Malacca. Photo by Nation kingdom.
10. Decorated bicycle rickshaws are popular a popular form of transportation in Malacca.
Christ Church in Malacca.
11. Constructed in 1753, the Christ Church reflects its original Dutch architecture. The building houses hand-crafted church benches, ceiling skylights, a copper replica of the Bible, and a replica of “The Last Supper”.
12. St. Peter’s Church, constructed in 1710 under Dutch rule, is the oldest Catholic church in Malaysia. Its bell was delivered from Goa in 1608.
13. Constructed by the Portuguese captain, Duarte Coelho, St. Paul’s Church was originally named “Our Lady of The Hill”, but was later turned into a burial ground by the Dutch for their noble dead, and renamed “St. Paul’s Church”. Today the church is part of the Malaccan Museums Complex. The body of St. Francis Xavier was interred here temporarily before it was taken to Goa, India.
14. Opened in 2008, the Taming Sari Tower it is a revolving structure that lets you view the sights of Malacca from a height of 260 feet in the sky.
15. The Malacca Zoo is the second largest zoo in Malaysia with 54 acres and more than 1,200 animals.
16. You can explore the traditional architecture of the different states in Malaysia at the Taman Mini Malaysia & Mini ASEAN cultural park located just outside of Malacca City. Each of the homes represents the architectural style of the 13 states in Malaysia and is furnished with various items, arts and crafts which depict the culture of each state.
Learn more about Malacca with these resources:
Have you visited Malacca? What fun fact can you add?
If you enjoy history and interesting facts about far-flung destinations, check out these other Fun Facts posts:
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- 12 Fun Facts About Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 21 Fun Facts About Mormugao, Goa, India
- 11 Fun Facts to Know About the Cook Islands
- 12 Fun Facts You May Not Know About the Great Wall of China
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