Login

Porta de Santiago

Built by Portuguese, Destroyed By British

The Porta de Santiago gateway, at the foot of Malacca Hill was built in 1511 and is the only remaining part of the A Famosa Fortress built by the Portuguese colonists. It is one of the oldest surviving European-style buildings in Asia and is now a symbol of the colonial era in Malacca.

After the Portuguese conquered Malacca by force in 1511, a European-style fortress, A Famosa, was built nearby, based on the seafront terrain of Malacca Hill. After the Dutch took over control of Malacca in 1641, A Famosa was expanded and renovated, so you can find the inscription “ANNO 1670” in Carvings on the Porta de Santiago Gateway.

Manywhere Trivia:
The Portuguese built fortresses for local security and to protect the Portuguese fleet on the Asia-Europe route, these fortresses can also be found in former Portuguese colonies such as Fortaleza do Monte in Macau.

The historic A Famosa Fortress was an impregnable stronghold with 3 Meters Thick Walls. It is said that the stone used to build the walls came from meteorites in the sea, and another theory is that it came from the ruins of a local palace and mosque in Malacca.

In the early 19th century, the British colonists ordered to blow up the fortress to prevent it falls under enemies’ hands. It was stopped only after the intervention of two British lords. Unfortunately, it was too late and only this Porta de Santiago Gateway Survived.

Manywhere Trivia:
One of the two Sirs who kindly dissuaded the destroy of A Formosa in 1810, was the founding father of Singapore Sir Stamford Raffles.

After five hundred years, the Old Gateway of Porta de Santiago still stands at the foot of St. Paul’s Hill in Malacca as a mark and symbol of the Malacca colonial era. Although the fortress no longer exists, the gateway has become a favorite photo spot for tourists today. From here, you can climb up the stairs to the ruins of St. Paul’s Church at the top of St. Paul's Hill.