Description: Situated on top of St. Paul's Hill is the ruins of St. Paul's Church. This church was originally built by the Portuguese Duarte Coelho in 1951 in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving his life in the South China sea. It was then known as the Chapel of the Annunciation.
When the Dutch took over Malacca, they renamed the church as St. Paul's Church, and used it as a place of worship when the Christ Church was being built.
Once inside the ruins, one can see quite a number of large tombstones placed against the walls of the ruins. The words on the tombstones are in Portuguese (or Dutch?) and many of them bear beautiful and intricate carvings. Little white displays at the foot of these tombstones provide a translation of what was inscripted on the tombstones.
This church is famous for having been the temporary burial ground for St Francis Xavier for 8 months in 1553 after he died at sea.
There is a Dutch cemetery beside the church's ruins and the remains of the Portuguese fort Afamosa. Once a mighty fortress, now all that remains is a tiny gateway called the Porta de Santiago.
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