Photos of the old St Paul's Church in Melaka. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the full size image.
Ruined Church Building
Tombstones
Statue and Church
Atop the hill which guards one side of the river mouth, the Portuguese built a small church which was named 'Our Lady of the Annunciation'. The construction was funded by a Portuguese captain named Duarte Coelho in 1521. Many of the stones came from the foundations of the sultan's palace, which the Portuguese demolished. Over the years, the small chapel was enlarged and a bell tower added. The statue in front is of St. Francis Xavier, who was briefly buried here before his remains were moved to Goa in India.
When the Dutch took over Melaka, they renamed the church, but later built their own Christ Church at the base of the hill in the Town Square. Later, the Dutch pulled off the roof and built catwalks for their soldiers, effectively turning the church into a fort.
Under British rule, they razed the original tower and eventually ended up using the building to store ammunition. The British did build a lighthouse in front of the church, and continued to use the grounds around it as a graveyard.