A Famosa
| A Famosa | |
|---|---|
| Kota A Famosa (Malay) | |
| Malacca, Malaysia | |
The surviving gate of the A Famosa Portuguese fort in Malacca.
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A view of the gate of the A Famosa fort from the rear.
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| Coordinates | 2°11′29.82″N 102°15′1.10″E / 2.1916167°N 102.2503056°ECoordinates: 2°11′29.82″N 102°15′1.10″E / 2.1916167°N 102.2503056°E |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
Portugal (1511–1641) Netherlands (1641–1795) Britain (1795–1807) |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Destroyed, reconstructed |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1511 |
| Built by | Portuguese Empire |
| In use | 1511–1807 |
| Demolished | 10 August 1807 (except for a small gate house) |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Afonso de Albuquerque |
A Famosa (Malay: Kota A Famosa; "The Famous" in Portuguese) was a Portuguese fortress located in Malacca, Malaysia. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in south east Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only part of the fortress which still remains today.
The name is often mispronounced /eɪ/ Famosa, even among Malaysians, as though the Portuguese definite article a were the English letter A. A more authentic pronunciation would be /ɑː/ Famosa.
In 1511, a Portuguese fleet arrived under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque. His forces attacked and defeated the armies of the Malacca Sultanate. Moving quickly to consolidate his gains, Albuquerque had the fortress built around a natural hill near the sea. Albuquerque believed that Malacca would become an important port linking Portugal to the Spice Route in China. At this time other Portuguese were establishing outposts in such places as Macau, China and Goa, India to create a string of friendly ports for ships heading to Ming China and returning home to Portugal.
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