Datuk Manila Tomb
Makam Datuk Manila

Datuk Manila Tomb is the burial place of a Muslim scholar from the Philippines who fled to Melaka during the Spanish conquest of his country to escape religious persecution.

It is said that this saintly man taught the virtues of Islam to the locals in Melaka and he was greatly admired for his kind heartedness and good nature. In gratitude they built this mausoleum for him after his death.

The mausoleum is quite elaborate for a Muslim grave which normally have little by way of decoration and often are marked only by a humble marker or a few rocks.

Other more simple graves, perhaps of family members, share the compound with the Datuk.

Interestingly, one of the decorative motifs found on the wall of the grave is of a star or sun and is not dissimilar to that found on the Philippine flag (and the Taiwan flag).

The tomb is regarded by locals as a keramat or sacred place and according to a newspaper article some gamblers like to come here to seek inspiration for lucky numbers. Not sure what the Datuk would have thought of that!

How to Get to Datuk Manila Tomb

The exact location is shown on this map. The tomb sits between Jalan Siantan 2/7 and Lorong Dato Manila and you can enter from either street.

Show the Way

GPS Coordinates:

2.202238, 102.23812


Address: 

Datuk Manila's Mausoleum

Lorong Dato Manila

Off Jalan Tengkera

75200 Melaka

Malaysia

 Nearby

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.