Abstract
Cities are treated as cultural artefacts that could showcase the achievements of a kingdom and highlight the civilisational elements of its people. At the same time, cities are posited as one example of Malay architecture, whose role in the everyday lives of the Malay society is examined. These observations are made upon the study of the role of cities from the architectural aspect, which includes layout and design, raw materials, and amenities that are featured in a city. In fact, cities are often the subject matter of traditional texts including Malay historiography. Informed by this approach, this article focuses on two objectives, namely identifying the design and building materials of old Malay cities and explaining the role of the city. Based on two historiographical texts, this study finds that old Malay cities were built using similar designs although other variables like building materials, time, and place of construction changed. The cities’ infrastructure also made use of natural resources that were readily available in the surroundings. Additionally, the design and choice of building materials of old Malay cities play defining roles in turning the cities into fortress-cities and secure settlements, and even in the naming of the cities. It is hoped that this paper will contribute towards diversifying perspectives and source materials in the study of urban worldviews as well as enriching the cultural heritage of the Malay society.
Highlights
Depending on the situation and context, the word “city” could refer to several meanings
For the Malay society, fortresses and administrative centres are generally defined as cities, which conform to Nasir's definition of the city as a fortress, a defence stronghold, or the administrative centre for the kings during the height of the Malay sultanate era
The role of cities in the Malay civilisation has been narrated in historiographical texts like Sulalatus Salatin and Misa Melayu, which offer detailed accounts of the design and raw materials used to build Malay cities
Summary
Depending on the situation and context, the word “city” could refer to several meanings. The usage of the word “city” among Malays clearly refer to buildings and infrastructure that were established as fortresses, defence strongholds, administrative centres, and residential areas, depending on the context In this regard, the city is a cultural heritage that showcases the excellence of a given kingdom. Yusof (2014) cites Portuguese historians and philosophers like João de Barros, Damião de Góis, and Fernão Lopes de Castanheda who noted that Malay cities, those in Melaka, were built in strategic locations, equipped with a variety of natural and manmade facilities, were of admirable size, and constructed using readily available natural materials Overall, these features prove that Malay cities were important architectural monuments whose design and construction take many aspects of practical life into consideration
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