Istana Melaka

For this entry, I'm gonna talk about Istana Melaka. This wooden replica of the Melaka Sultanate's Palace is situated at the foot of St.Paul's Hill. The architectural design of the palace is based on the description in the Malay Annals or 'Sejarah Melayu' and is the only one of its kind in Malaysia.  The museum, also known as the Istana (Sultanate Palace), is a replica of Sultan Mansur Shah's palace, the famous Sultan who ruled Melaka from 1456 to 1477.

The replica of the palace was built in 1984 and it became the Cultural Museum. The Cultural Museum was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 17th July 1986. The building is made of hardwood while the roof is made of 'belian' wood. An interesting feature of the building is that no nails were used in the construction of the building, only wooden pegs.

Currently, the museum houses about 1,350 items in the form of artifacts  prints, photographs and drawings which represent the history and cultural heritage of the Malay Sultanate of Melaka and the various communities, which came to settle in Melaka during that period.

The three-storie building is divided into eight chambers and three galleries including chambers of the Royal band, weaponry, decorative arts, emissaries and gifts, a recreation hall, an audience hall and an Islamic hall.

The galleries depict the famous clash between the legendary warriors Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, traditional costumes and the royal bedchamber. Exhibits include prints and photographs of the Melaka Sultanate, a model of the Sultan Mansur Shah Palace, Malay weapons, Malay traditional wedding dress, jewelleries and brass ware.

the view in Balairong Seri

Istana Melaka

http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/cultural%20museum%2Fmelaka%20sultanate%20palace.html
http://www.virtualmuseummelaka.com/cultural.htm