St. Paul's Church, Melaka (must see)

Saint Paul’s Church is a former place of worship that now functions as an open-air historical site. It forms part of the Malacca Museum Complex, together with the ruins of A Famosa and the Stadthuys. It is the oldest surviving church building in Malaysia and one of the oldest in Southeast Asia.

The church was originally built as a Roman Catholic chapel in 1521 by the Portuguese nobleman Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude after he survived a storm in the South China Sea. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary as the Chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation. In 1548, Saint Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit missionary, established a school on the chapel grounds—the first school founded on the Malay Peninsula. A second floor was added to the small chapel in 1556, followed by a bell tower in 1590. The chapel was later renamed the Church of the Mother of God.

Following the Dutch conquest of Melaka, the building was converted into a Dutch Reformed church. It was renamed Saint Paul’s Church and served as the principal place of worship for the Dutch community until 1753.

Saint Paul’s Church gradually fell into ruin after it was deconsecrated following the construction of a new Dutch Reformed church. During the British occupation, it was used as a gunpowder magazine and was allowed to deteriorate further. Efforts have been made over the years to preserve and protect Saint Paul’s Church, although much of the building remains in ruins. Visitors can explore the site and examine the restored Dutch tombstones placed against the church’s interior walls.