One unexpected treat during my visit to Malacca (after, surprisingly, not having done my homework on sights to see….completely unlike me but I simply figured I’d just go there and find locations during my few days of perambulating around the city) was discovering St Paul’s Church.

Located atop St Paul’s Hill and situated in front of, and above, the remnants of the famous Portuguese fort A Famosa the church is now a shell of its former self.

Having fallen into disrepair some 150 years or so earlier the church, although in a dilapidated, ruined and incomplete state, is nonetheless quite beautiful. Its location atop St. Paul’s Hill affords visitors a spectacular view over parts of Malacca whilst the remnants of the church itself are, simply by their very presence, fascinating to experience.

A little history

Originally built as a Catholic chapel in 1521 by Portuguese sea captain, Duarte Coelho, St Paul’s Church is the oldest church in Southeast Asia. Named as Our Lady of the Hill (Nossa Senhorado Monte in Portuguese) the chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary as a way of giving thanks from Coelho and his crew for having survived enemy attacks whilst sailing in the South China Sea.

In 1556 the chapel saw an additional storey added to its structure and was renamed as the Church of Annunciation. In 1590 a large tower was added behind the church to serve as a watchtower.

When the Dutch captured Melaka the church was reconsecrated for Dutch use and subsequently renamed St Paul’s Church. This would ultimately fall into disuse when the Dutch built Christ Church in 1753.

The Portuguese tower was demolished in 1745 and subsequently replaced with a new watchtower (which I am led to believe also functioned as a lighthouse).

I have to confess I was very disappointed by not being able to climb into the watchtower (as even though there was a ladder present the entrance hatch was locked - totally understandable from a health & safety perspective not to mention tourists potentially damaging the structure too). That building was pretty impressive and I would have loved to be able to take a tour inside its interior.

St Paul’s church would, after the building of Christ Church, subsequently serve as a mausoleum for Dutch and Portuguese dignitaries (as evident from the many tombs and headstones that are still located within the church).

During British rule the church was used as an ammunition dump for strikes against Java between 1810 and 1811. The location’s name was also changed to Flag Hill (Bukit Bendera) after the construction of a large flagpole to fly the Union jack. The location quickly reverted back to its previously known name of St Paul’s Hill and the flagpole was taken down.

The church would ultimately fall into disrepair with, what appears to be, some minor restoration efforts taking place during different periods within the 20th Century (although these seem to have focussed on excavations with the old Portuguese burial vaults and re-siting tombstones that had been scattered around the vicinity of the church).

The church

Although in a state of disrepair the remnants of the church are incredibly beautiful; particularly the tombstones adorning the walls in the main building structure (which is totally exposed to the elements thanks to the absence of a roof) as well as what appears to be the vaults in the chancel of the church.

The decorative designs carved into many of these tombstones is quite astonishing although I was equally, if not more so, impressed by just how large these tombstones actually were.

I wondered how heavy they must have been and what it would have taken, in terms of human labour, to have relocated those within the walls of the church interior. That cannot have been an easy task, especially in an age without the benefits of mechanised cranes and lifting equipment that we in this era take for granted.

Photographers will love the opportunities presented by the building and its features although due to the high volume of visitors you might have to be patient when looking to compose those perfect shots :)

From St Paul's Hill the views across Malacca are quite impressive - both looking towards Porta de Santiago (the remaining part of Portuguese fort A Famosa) and from the side and rear of St Paul's church too. Buskers, artists and souvenir vendors also pitch their wares near to the side of the church and along the stairway from A Famosa so don't be surprised by their presence should you happen to be visiting here.

St Francis Xavier statue

St. Francis Xavier, along with fellow Jesuits, established, within the chapel, what was perhaps the first modern school - known as St Paul’s college - in the Malay Peninsula in 1548.

From this location in Malacca Xavier would undertake missionary journeys in Japan and China. It was whilst undertaking missionary work in Shangchuan Island that he would fall sick and ultimately die in 1552.

His body was, for a brief period of time, temporarily buried at St. Paul’s church before finding its final resting place in Goa, India. Today St. Paul’s hosts a grave in the ruins of the church which marks his temporary burial place (albeit covered by a wire mesh cage preventing any disturbance to the location).

In front of the ruins of the church a statue of St Francis Xavier was erected 400 years after his death in 1952. Apparently the right forearm of the statue was severed the next day when a Casuarina tree fell and broke that off.

A word of warning

If approaching the church from the ruins of A Famosa the journey up to the top of St Paul’s Hill, although relatively short, involves a fairly steep climb on a series of stairs snaking their way up the hillside. Be warned this can be quite taxing - especially under the unforgiving heat of the Asian sun -  and I consider myself in generally good shape for a middle aged male (but even I felt challenged by the climb).

For those with more challenging health conditions such as respiratory ailments or heart complaints I would seriously consider taking the alternative and far more gentle route to St Paul’s Hill using Jalan Kota (approaching from Jalan Merdeka). This also happens to be wheelchair accessible which will be a boon to those requiring use of such devices.

Getting there

You can reach St Paul’s Church from Jalan Kota; either from the direction of Jalan Merdeka (which is wheelchair accessible) or via the stairway in St Paul’s Hill directly behind the remnants of Portuguese fort A Famosa (situated on the corner of Jalan Kota and Jalan Parameswara).

Fee

Entry to the church is free.