A Famosa, Melaka

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.

Fort Cornwallis, Pulau Pinang

Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia

Fort Cornwallis, named after the Governor-General in Bengal in the late 1700s, Charles Cornwallis, is one of the most interesting historical landmarks in Georgetown. It is located close to the Esplanade, next to the Victoria Memorial Clock. Fort Cornwallis was erected in 1786, not long after he acquired Pulau Pinang for the East India Company, from the Sultan of Kedah. The site where the fort was built is actually the first place where Light disembarked from his ship in 1768.  Although built for defense by design, throughout its existence, Fort Cornwallis served more as an administrative centre for the British, having survived without much threat of enemy attacks. The fort's walls, roughly 10 feet high, are laid out in a star-shape formation. Inside the fort, you can still see some of the original structures built over a century ago, including a chapel, prison cells, ammunitions storage area, a harbour light once used to signal incoming ships, the original flagstaff and several old bronze cannons, one of which is a Dutch cannon called the Seri Rambai, dated 1603. An interesting note about the Seri Rambai is that some locals believe that these particular cannon can have a positive effect on a woman's fertility.

                                               

The statue of the legendary Sir Captain Francis  Light also can be found at Fort Cornwallis

Sri Menanti Palace, Negeri Sembilan

The old palace of Sri Menanti

The Seri Menanti Palace is an architectural masterpiece based on the famed Minangkabau concept, and is situated in the royal capital of Negeri Sembilan, Seri Menanti. It was built in 1902 -1905. It was originally a palace for the Negeri Sembilan Royal Family. It was designed by two local craftsmen and carpenters, Tukang Kahar and Tukang Taib. Work began in November 1902 and completed three years later. This five storey wooden palace, was built using no nails or screws. The carpenters at the time used wooden pegs so that the palace would be able to withstand the times.  It also uses 99 solid timber pillars, soaring 65 feet. Black in colour, the palace also has intricate flower motifs beautifying the regal palace.  The palace was used as the official residence of the royal family until the year of 1932, and has since been transformed into the Royal Museum of the state in 1992. The museum houses items such as old royal costumes, medals, weapons such as the keris and pictures of past rulers of Negeri Sembilan within its walls.