St. John's Fort|Interesting Places In Melaka|Malaysia

Interesting Places In Malaysia

There is another fort which are not far from A’Famosa which is St, John’s Fort. St. John’s Fort is a military installation situated on top of St. John’s Hill in Bandar Hilir, south of Melaka. Later it was made into a Dutch military installation in the late 18th century.

Rebuilt by the Dutch in the 18th century, St. John's Fort was once a private Portuguese chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist. St John's Fort used to be a vantage point from which to defend Melaka from attack, but it is no longer near the shore line following land reclamation work in the 20th Century. Note also that the majority of the canon positions face in land, indicating the fact St John's was last used to defend Melaka from attack over land, not from the sea.

Today, the National Museums Department is taking care of this important historical remnant; and in the early morning or late in the afternoon, one will find many joggers running up and down the hill as it is one of the more popular jogging spots. Thus, besides it being used as a historical attraction for tourists, locals also used the hill to keep themselves in trim and view the new skyline of Malacca.