Description of the attraction
The National History Museum, the second most important after the National Museum of Malaysia, is located near the main square of the capital - Merdeka or Independence.
The building was designed by A. Norman. This British architect experimented a lot in urban planning in Kuala Lumpur, combining the architectural styles of England with elements of Moorish and Islamic architecture. The museum building is another example of the successful introduction of local motifs into the Victorian style. The house was built in 1888 as an office for the colonial banks. And it fits perfectly into the architectural ensemble of neighboring administrative buildings. All sorts of banking institutions were in it until 1965, then they were replaced by bureaucratic structures. Finally, in 1991, it was decided to turn the old building into the National History Museum.
It contains exhibits of the history of Malaysia from prehistoric times: manuscripts, maps, weapons, old coins, sultan seals, etc. The collection of objects from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic times testifies to the existence of primitive civilizations on this earth already at that time. There are very rare 520 million year old rock samples and much more.
A large place is occupied by the relics of the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that existed on the peninsula before the advent of Islam. Collected interesting exhibits from the era of the Sultanate of Malacca before colonization. And also a whole collection of evidence of Portuguese, Dutch and finally British presence in Malaysia.
A separate section is devoted to the struggle for independence from the British colonial administration, the communist insurrectionary movement and the proclamation of the country's independence.
The National Historical Museum conducts extensive research work on the discovery and study of the heritage of the nation. The goal is not only to increase tourist attractiveness. The work is carried out primarily to establish the truth of the facts and information to understand the history of their own country. That is why the museum is an important educational and educational center.
