St. Paul's Church, Portuguese church ruins on St Paul's Hill, Malacca, Malaysia
St. Paul's Church is a ruin on St. Paul's Hill in Malacca, Malaysia, with stone walls that clearly show the construction style of the Portuguese colonial era. Inside, several Dutch tombstones are set into the walls, recalling the later use of the building as a burial site.
Portuguese captain Duarte Coelho had the building erected in 1521 as a gesture of thanks after surviving a severe storm in the South China Sea. Following the Dutch conquest in the 17th century, it was used as the main cemetery for the Protestant community and later abandoned by the British.
A marble statue of Saint Francis Xavier stands at the entrance, marking the spot where his body rested for nine months in 1553. The figure recalls the importance of this site as a stopover for Catholic missionaries traveling through Southeast Asia.
Visitors must climb numerous stone steps from the A'Famosa fortress area to reach the grounds, which offer views of the Strait of Malacca. The stairs can be slippery in wet weather, so sturdy footwear is advisable.
The interior walls carry Dutch grave inscriptions from the 17th century, when the building was converted from a place of worship into a Protestant burial ground. These memorial tablets tell of merchants, officials, and soldiers who died far from their European homeland.
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