The Johor River is a great name that records the glorious history of the Johor Kingdom. For 400 years, in the waters of the river there has been a process of defending the sovereignty of the country, continuing the legacy of the kingdom, strengthening the civilization of the Malay race in defending the dignity of the race, religion and country. The history of the collapse of the Melaka kingdom in 1511 was inherited by the Johor kingdom starting in 1528. All the records of glorious moments and historical events have been left strong along this river until today.
Occupying the Johor River for about 80 kilometers starting from the river mouth at Telok Sengat to the upper reaches of the river, which is Sayong Pinang. Most of the historical remains are between 100 and 400 years old, dating from the reign of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Syah II (1528-1564) to Sultan Abdul Jalil Syah IV (1699-1718) can be witnessed.
Among the evidence of the remains are the former old city and fortress, the tombs of sultans, relatives, and royal dignitaries as well as other structures that have been buried. Among those that are still preserved are the Old Johor Stone Fort, the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud (Mangkat Dijulang), Bendahara Tun Habib, the Tomb of Touhid, the Tomb of Admiral Bentan, Sultan Muzaffar Syah, Sultan Abdul Jalil Syah I, Sultan Ali Jalla Abd. Jalil Syah, Tomb 7 and Tomb 12 in Sayong Pinang.
Historical locations such as Pekan Tua, Sayong Pinang, Johor Lama, Seluyut, Batu Sawar, Kota Tinggi and Panchor located on the banks of the Johor River alternated as the capital of the Johor kingdom. Each location also consisted of magnificent defensive cities built to defend against attacks from enemies such as the Portuguese, Dutch, Aceh and Jambi during that era.
The process of preserving and conserving these historical sites is carried out from time to time by workers under the management of the Malaysian Museum Department and the Johor Heritage Foundation (YWJ). Records of the remains and historical events that occurred along the Johor River are all immortalized at the Kota Tinggi Museum on Jalan Laksamana and the Kota Johor Lama Museum in Kampung Johor Lama.