Museum Maritim Melaka
The Melaka Maritime Museum or other name Muzium Samudera is a tourist attraction in Melaka in the form of a replica of the Portuguese warship named Flor de la Mar. Unfortunately, according to history, the ship was reported to have sunk and no wreck has been found to date. The ship replica was made as closely as possible to the original, which is around 34 meters high and 8 meters wide.
The attraction of the Melaka Maritime Museum is the historical story about the golden age of Melaka’s maritime affairs from the Melaka Sultanate until it became a struggle for several nations. Apart from that, you can see the development of trade from the Malay Sultanate era to the colonial era in the land of Melaka. The entrance ticket to this museum is RM 10.
The Melaka Maritime Museum is the ‘home’ for a replica of the magnificent Flor De La Mar ship which belonged to the Portuguese during the Malay Sultanate of Melaka era. At first glance, this ship looks small from the outside, but once inside it turns out to be very spacious. The ship is 36 meters long, 8 meters wide and 34 meters high.
This museum shows the history of Melaka trade and the development of trade from the Malay Sultanate era to the colonial era.
This Portuguese ship is said to have sunk off the coast or strait of Melaka while carrying its loot back to Portugal. Therefore, a replica of the Flor De La Mar ship was made which was opened to the public in 1994.
Based on historical records, Flor de la Mar was called the grandest sailing ship of its time. This ship was commanded by Alfonso D’alberquerque on his mission to conquer Melaka. It is said that the assets carried by the ship reached 38 billion. However, unfortunately they never returned to their home country and the wreck has never been found.
A Closer Look at the Melaka Maritime Museum
When you look at the Melaka Maritime Museum from the outside, it reminds you of the Submarine Monument Museum in Surabaya. Both are large in size, similar to the original, and contain various historical stories.
When we first arrive, we will be amazed by the cool design of the ship and the details are similar to the sailing ships used by sailors in ancient times. To get into the ship you have to go through several stairs and in front of it there are officers waiting to pay the entrance ticket. The entry ticket price is around RM 10. Next, footwear must be removed and stored in the space provided, then you can enter the ship.
The atmosphere inside the ship feels very comfortable, clean, neat and orderly. The interior of the museum is truly awe-inspiring, featuring a number of artifacts from different eras. There are also statues of traders and navigators displayed here too. Several small ancient ships are also on display so that visitors are more aware of the history of Melaka.
Overall, what is inside the Melaka Maritime Museum is to display the importance of Melaka at that time as a regional and international business center. Apart from artifacts, several documents from the Melaka Sultanate, Portuguese, Dutch and British rule eras are also displayed which reveal why political control of Melaka was so important for maritime domination in the region.
Not only that, there is also a collection of reading materials about the history of Melaka and famous Melaka legends such as Hang Tuah. There is even a special section on the Flor de la Mar ship that tells about the place where prisoners were confined in this place along with replicas of the prisoners. It’s quite scary to see it.
Layout of the Maritime Museum
When entering the museum the interior is illuminated with subtle light and there is a spiral staircase that dominates the room. I don’t know how many levels of rooms there are in this ship museum, what is certain is that when exploring this museum, visitors can go up or down to the rooms at the top or bottom of the ship. Feels like you are in a multi-storey building.
Downstairs there are various collections of porcelain, silk, textiles and spices brought by traders from Arabia, India and China at that time. Then on the top level of this ship there is a diorama of the captain’s cabin, but visitors are not allowed to enter the cabin. On the doorstep of his cabin we can see a number of materials about the vital role of a Portuguese ship captain.
Visiting the Melaka Maritime Museum is quite time consuming because it feels like you are being transported to the past, remembering the days when the Flor de la Mar ship sailed. Moreover, there are lots of cool spots to take fun photos, you can spend the whole day here.
Continuing to the ship’s deck, the view is no less cool. From the deck of this ship we can see the beautiful view of the Melaka river. This deck made of wood is very suitable as a place to capture funny and interesting moments, feeling like you are sailing on the open sea.
Once you are satisfied with visiting the museum, don’t forget to buy souvenirs as a keepsake. Near the exit there is a small shop selling various interesting souvenirs, especially a mini replica of the Flor de la Mar ship. This could really be a souvenir for friends or relatives.
Location of the Melaka Maritime Museum
The location of the Melaka Maritime Museum could be a target place to spend time walking around this city. From the center of the red building area on the banks of the Melaka River, just walk straight along Quayside Road for around 300 meters. Later you will see a large building from a distance in the form of a giant sailing ship on the right side of the road by the Melaka river.
It is approximately 10 minutes from the red building. Museum operating hours are from 09.00-17.30 Monday to Friday. Then on Saturday and Sunday the museum is open from 09.00-21.00.
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