The surviving gate of the A Famosa fort in Melaka |
A Famosa is a Portuguese fortress
located in Malacca. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural
remains in Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only
remaining part of the fortress still standing. The fortress once consisted of
long ramparts and four major towers. One was a four-story keep, while the
others held an ammunition storage room, the residence of the captain, and an
officers' quarters. Most of the village clustered in town houses inside the
fortress walls. The fort changed hands in 1641 when the Dutch drove the Portuguese
out of Malacca and renovated the gate in 1670. Above the arch is a bas-relief
logo of the Dutch East India Company. The fortress changed hands again in the
early 19th century when the Dutch handed it over to the British to prevent it
from falling into the hands of Napoleon's expansionist France. The English were
wary of maintaining the fortification and ordered its destruction in 1806. The
fort was almost totally demolished but because of Sir Stamford Raffles, and of his
passion for history, this small gate was spared from destruction.