The people must appreciate history for its significance in having shaped civilisations instead of merely committing facts to memory, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said here.

History should also be studied to learn how to improve civilisations as well as to extract valuable lessons, he said.

"For example, one must learn about the occurrence of wars, trade and changing civilisations," he told reporters after officially opening the Middleburg Bastion and handing it over to the state government, in Bandar Hilir Saturday night.

Middleburg Bastion was a fort built in the 1660s by the Dutch at the mouth of the Melaka River to secure their military and commercial interests.

In 2006, the site of the fort was discovered by the Department of National Heritage which had undertaken archeological research on the structure of Melaka City, and the fort was restored at a cost of RM4.4 million in 2008.

Dr Rais said many people took history for granted without realising that it could instill greater patriotism in the people.

He also said that the department had acquired the HSBC building adjacent to the Middleburg Bastion at a cost of RM2 million, and added that it could exhibit artefacts from Melaka.