Christ Church Melaka
The Oldest Protestant Church
In Malaysia

Located opposite the Stadthuys, it was once situated within the fort walls of the old fortified town of Malacca. However, the fort walls were demolished by the British at the beginning of the 19th century.

The church was built by the Dutch to commemorate a century of their rule in Melaka. Construction of this church began in 1741 and it took workers a staggering 12 years to build this magnificent new Church. Its construction was finally completed in 1753.

This old church bears testimony to Dutch architectural ingenuity. The layout of the church is a simple rectangle 82 feet by 42 feet.

The ceiling rises to 40 feet above ground and is supported by a span of immense wooden beams that were each cut from a single tree and therefore, you won't be able to see any joints on the beams.

The hand-made pews found inside the church date back some 200 years. The roof is covered with Dutch tiles and the massive walls were raised using Dutch bricks built on local laterite blocks and coated with an everlasting Chinese plaster.

Mounted on its walls are some decorative fanlights and plaques in memory of those who died of various epidemics. At the chancel, the exquisite replica of the "Last Supper" in glazed tiles mesmerizes visitors of the church.

The granite bricks that pave the floor of the church were brought to Malacca from the Netherlands as ship's ballast.

It was said that, in those days, construction bricks were loaded into the haul of Dutch ships sailing for Malacca. These bricks served as the ship's ballast and was for the purpose of keeping the ship upright and afloat as they rode with the ocean's wind and waves.

When the ships reach Melaka, the sailors would then be ordered to unload the bricks to be used for construction here.

The ballast was then replaced with commercial merchandise for their continued journey, sailing either to Indonesia, to other Dutch colonies in Asia or back to the Netherlands.

Admission to the church is free. However, visitors are encouraged to donate to the church for the church's upkeep.

The Christ Church is indeed a sight for those who love fine strutural design.

To find out how to get there, please Click here for the "Tourist Attractions" map.