Fortaleza de Malaca

8/2/2019 Fortaleza de Malaca

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Fortaleza de Malaca

The early core of the fortress system was a quadrilateral tower called Fortaleza de Malaca.

Measurement was given as 10 fathoms per side with a height of 40 fathoms. It was

constructed at the foot of the fortress hill, next to the sea. To its east was constructed a

circular wall of mortar and stone with a well in the middle of the enclosure.

Over the years, constructions began to fully fortify the fortress hill. The pentagonal system

began at the farthest point of the cape near south east of the river mouth, towards the west

of the Fortaleza. At this point two ramparts were built at right angles to each other lining the

shores. The one running northward toward the river mouth was 130 fathoms in length to the

bastion of São Pedro while the other one ran for 75 fathoms to the east, curving inshore,

ending at the gate and bastion of Santiago.

From the bastion of São Pedro the rampart turned north east 150 fathoms past the Custom

House Terrace gateway ending at the northern most point of the fortress, the bastion of São

Domingos. From the gateway of São Domingos, an earth rampart ran south-easterly for 100

fathoms ending at the bastion of the Madre de Deus. From here, beginning at the gate of

Santo António, past the bastion of the Virgins, the rampart ended at the gateway of

Santiago.

Overall the city enclosure was 655 fathoms and 10 palms (short) of a fathom.

Gateways

Four gateways were built for the city;

1. Porta de Santiago

2. The gateway of the Custom House Terrace

3. Porta de São Domingos

4. Porta de Santo António

Of these four gateways only two were in common use and open to traffic, the Gate of Santo

António linking to the suburb of Yler and the western gate at the Custom House Terrace,

giving access to Tranqueira and its bazaar.

Destruction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Famosa




Present day Porta De Santiago.

After almost 300 years of existence, in 1806, the British, unwilling to maintain the fortress and wary of

letting other European powers taking control of it, ordered its slow destruction. The fort was almost

totally demolished but for the timely intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles visiting Malacca in 1810. The

only remnants of the earliest Portuguese fortress in Southeast Asia is the Porta de Santiago, now

known as the A Famosa.

The town of Malacca during the Portuguese Era

Outside of the fortified town center lies the three suburbs of Malacca. The suburb of Upe

(i.e. Upih), generally known as Tranqueira (modern dayTengkera) from the rampart of the

fortress. The other two suburb were Yler (i.e. Hilir ) or Tanjonpacer (i.e. TanjungPasir )and thesuburb of Sabba.

Tranqueira

Tranqueira was the most important suburb of Malacca. The suburb was rectangular in shape,

with a northern walled boundary, the straits of Malacca to the south and the river of

Malacca (Rio de Malaca) and the fortaleza's wall to the east. It was the main residential

quarters of the city. However, in war, the residence of the quarters would be evacuated to

the fortress. Tranqueira was divided into a further two parishes, São Tomé and São Estêvão.

The parish of S.Tomé was called CamponChelim (KampungKeling in Malay). It was described

that this area was populated by the Chelis of Choromandel. The other suburb of São Estêvão

was also calledCampon China (KampungCina).

Erédia described the houses as made of timber but roofed by tiles. A stone bridge with

sentry crosses the river Malacca to provide access to the Malacca Fortress via the eastern

Custome House Terrace. The center of trade of the city was also located in Tranqueira near

the beach on the mouth of the river called the Bazaar of the Jaos (Jowo/Jawa i.e. Javanese).

In the present day, this part of the city was still called Tengkera.


http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tengkera&action=edit&redlink=1



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portadesantiago.jpg








Yler

Yler (i.e. Hilir ) roughly covered Buquet China (Bukit Cina) and the south-eastern coastal area.

The Well of Buquet China was one of the important water source for the community. The

Church of the Madre De Deus and the Convent of the Capuchins of São Francisco. Another

notable landmark included Buquetpiatto (Bukit Piatu). The extreme boundaries of this

unwalled suburb were said to be as far as Buquetpipi and Tanjonpacer.

Tanjonpacer or TanjungPasir (in Malay) was later renamed UjongPasir. A settlement of

Portuguese descent community is located there in present day Malacca. This suburb of Yler

is now known asBandaHilir. Land reclamations in modern time (for the commercial district of

Melaka Raya) however have denied Banda Hilir access to the sea.

Sabba

The houses on this suburb was built on the water edges of the river. Some of the original

Muslim Malay inhabitants of Malacca lived in the swamps of Nypeiras tree, where they

made Nypa (i.e. Nipah) wine by distillation for trade. This suburb was considered the most

rural, being a transition to the Malacca hinterland, where timber and charcoal traffic passed

through into the city. Several parishes also lies outside the city along the river; São Lázaro,

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Hope, and Muslim Malays farmlands deeper into thehinterland.

In later periods of Dutch, British and modern day Malacca, the name of Sabba was made

obsolete. However, its area encompassed parts of what is now Banda Kaba, Bunga Raya and

KampungJawa; the modern city center of Malacca

Malacca was administered by a Governor (Captains-Major) appointed for three-years, a

Bishop and church dignitaries representing the Episcopal See, municipal officers, Royal

Officials for finance and justice and a local native Bendahara to administer the native

Muslims and foreigners under the Portuguese jurisdiction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Banda_Hilir&action=edit&redlink=1



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendahara







Fortaleza de Malaca








shores. The one running northward toward the river mouth was 130 fathoms in length to thebastion of São Pedro while the other one ran for 75 fathoms to the east, curving inshore,







Santiago.






Gateways









Destruction










fortress. The other two suburb were Yler (i.e. Hilir ) or Tanjonpacer (i.e. TanjungPasir )and the

suburb of Sabba.









Tranqueira














Yler




notable landmark included Buquetpiatto (Bukit Piatu). The extreme boundaries of thisunwalled suburb were said to be as far as Buquetpipi and Tanjonpacer.





Sabba






Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Hope, and Muslim Malays farmlands deeper into the

hinterland.











Fortaleza de Malaca














House Terrace gateway ending at the northern most point of the fortress, the bastion of SãoDomingos. From the gateway of São Domingos, an earth rampart ran south-easterly for 100



Santiago.


Gateways









Destruction















Tranqueira


























Yler










Sabba
























Fortaleza de Malaca
















Santiago.


Gateways









Destruction















Tranqueira


























Yler










Sabba






















Fortaleza de Malaca

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