- Address: Jalan Gereja, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
- Phone: +60 6 284 1934
- Website: www.perzim.gov.my/ms
- Date of construction: 1650s
- Working time: daily and round the clock
Melaka is a historical square in Malaysia , on the territory of the modern city of Malacca . This is a complex of buildings in the colonial style, built at a time when Malacca was a Dutch colony. Thanks to its unique architecture, the area is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition, the buildings of the Red Square are now part of the Malacca Integrated Museum.
Buildings of the square
Melaka is often portrayed in photographs of advertising leaflets telling about the sights of the city of Malacca. And most often of all buildings of the square there is a photo of the Church of Christ - the oldest Presbyterian temple in Malaysia and the oldest surviving Dutch building in Southeast Asia. The church was built in 1753 by the Dutch in honor of the 100th anniversary of the capture of Malacca. Even the red brick from which it was made was brought from Holland.
Today the Museum of History and Ethnography works in the church. In other buildings of the square there are also museums:
- Islamic;
- Youth;
- World Islam (Museum of Nations);
- Architectural;
- Literary;
- Democracy;
- Postage stamps;
- Museum of the President;
- Gallery them. Chen Ho.
Museums of Architecture, Islamic, the Museum of Ethnography and the Museum of Peoples (Rakyat) are located in the building of Stadthuys, which at the time of the Dutch rule was the official residence of the governor, and during the English rule was used as a town hall.
In addition to museums, the interior of the building itself is interesting, for example, on the second floor you can see the reconstructed interiors of the Dutch house of the XVII century.
In addition, the square is located:
- the Tang Beng Swee clock tower , named after the rich Chinese merchant; built in 1886 by a Chinese family, it nevertheless fits perfectly into the architecture of the square and looks no less "Dutch" than the rest of the buildings;
- Fountain of Queen Victoria - the only one still functioning from all the colonial fountains of the country;
- a small windmill .
Outskirts of the square
To the left of the Church of Christ is a small alley along which you can go down to the ancient cemetery where the Dutch and the English are buried. In the center of it is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the war of 1831.
Also near the square is the former Malacca Free School (Malacca Free School), built by English missionaries in 1826 to teach the literacy of local residents.
How to get to Melaka?
It is possible to get to the square from Malacca bus station by route number 17. To the city from Kuala Lumpur, you can drive in less than 2 hours by car (Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan and E2) or 2 hours by bus from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. Buses leave the station every half hour.