Malacca Town

Infobox City
official_name = Malacca Town
other_name = Bandar Melaka
بندر ملاك
nickname = Bandar Raya Bersejarah
(English : Historical city)
website = http://www.mbmb.gov.my/

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imagesize=360px
image_caption = Stadthuys, Malacca
image_

pushpin_

pushpin_mapsize=360
map_caption = Location in Malaysia
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name = flag|Malaysia
subdivision_name1 = Malacca
established_title = Establishment
established_date = 1502 |established_title2 = Granted city status
established_date2 = 2003
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Zaini Md Nor
area_magnitude = 1 E8
area_total_sq_mi = 114.7
area_total_km2 = 303
population_as_of = 2007
population_total = 455,300
population_footnotes = [http://www.melaka.gov.my/v1/view_article.php?pageid=1103]
population_density_sq_mi = n/a
population_density_km2 = 1502.64
timezone = MST
utc_offset = +8
timezone_DST = Not observed
latd = 2
latm = 11
lats = 20
latNS = N
longd = 102
longm = 23
longs = 4
longEW = E
footnotes =

Malacca Town (Malay: "Bandar Melaka") is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. The "Seri Negeri", the State Administrative and Development Centre which houses the Chief Minister's Office, the State Secretary's Office and the Legislative Assembly Hall are located in Malacca Town. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with George Town of Penang on 7 July 2008. [ [http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/450 Eight new sites, from the Straits of Malacca, to Papua New Guinea and San Marino, added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List] . Retrieved July 8 2008.]

History

The site where the city of Malacca stands today was the center of Malaccan history. It was the capital of the Malaccan Sultanate and was the centre of the Malay world in the 15th and the 16th century after the Malays moved over from Sumatra and it was the most developed part of the Malay Peninsula before it fell to the Portuguese in 1511. Centuries of colonization by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British as well as development of Straits Chinese (Peranakan) culture have influenced the architecture of the town.

After World War II, anti-colonial sentiment developed amongst Malay nationalists, led to negotiations with the British and eventually the announcement of Independence by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first Prime Minister, at the Padang Pahlawan (Warrior's Field) at Bandar Hilir, in Melaka on 20 February 1956.

Since the founding of Singapore in 1819, Malacca has been in decline as its port was silting up and Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have grown. Over the years, many Malaccans have moved to Kuala Lumpur the Malaysian capital and to Singapore.Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca
State Party = MAS
Type = Cultural
Criteria = ii, iii, iv
ID = 1223
Region = Asia-Pacific
Year = 2008
Session = 32nd
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223

Tourism

Most of the tourist attractions are concentrated in its small city centre, and one can walk down Jonker's Walk which is a row of shophouses of Peranakan architecture. One can also visit Pulau Melaka, an island formed through land reclamation mainly for housing purposes just by crossing a causeway that leads to the island. Other islands include Pulau Upeh and Pulau Besar.

To reach Malacca city through the North-South Expressway, one has to take a detour from the town of Ayer Keroh and travel south through the Lebuh Ayer Keroh, while to reach Muar, which is 40 km from the Malacca Town itself, one has to travel by Jalan Ujong Pasir.

Twin cities

The City of Malacca has a twinned city status with five cities, they are:

*flagicon|Portugal Lisbon, Portugal (16 January 1984)
*flagicon|Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (15 April, 1989)
*flagicon|Netherlands Hoorn, Netherlands (8 November, 1989)
*flagicon|Chile Valparaiso, Chile (23 June. 1991)
*flagicon|China Nanjing, China (2001)
*flagicon|China Yangzhou, China

Sights

European settlement

*"A Famosa" fortress (Porta de Santiago)
*Christ Church
*Stadthuys (Dutch administrative buildings)
*Saint Francis Xavier Church
*Portuguese Settlement
*St. John Fort
*St. Paul Fort
*Ruins of St. Paul Church - Saint Francis Xavier was temporarily buried here St. Peter Church
*St. Theresa Church
*Victoria Fountain

Chinese settlement

*Bukit China cemetery
*Cheng Hoon Teng temple
*Geok Hu Keng temple
*Poh San Teng temple
*Sri Poyyatha temple

Malay history and Muslim sites

*Hang Jebat mausoleum
*Hang Kasturi mausoleum
*Kampung Hulu mosque
*Kampung Kling mosque
*Tranquerah mosque (Tengkera Mosque)
*Sultan's well
*Masjid Selat Melaka, a modern mosque on the shore of Pulau Melaka

Modern secular Malaysian

*Proclamation of Independence Memorial (Memorial Pengistiyharan Kemerdekaan)

References

External links

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