St. John's Fort was constructed by the Dutch in the third quarter of the 18th century to guard against attack from the landward side. At that time, restive Malay forces were staging raids against Melaka. However, some of the gunports did face toward the sea. The fort rests on St. John's hill, the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to John the Baptist. Even today the feast of St. John the Baptist is celebrated by Catholics on June 23rd with thousands of candles lit in homes throughout the city.