Initially, Albuquerque had wanted to use wood and stone, but then decided to build it entirely of stone as the material was easily available at the time. The fort was almost square in shape surrounded by stone walls standing 3.6 metres high and 2.4 metres thick. There were four entrances to the fort with the main door leading to a drawbridge crossing the river. It had eight towers standing 18-24 metres high with 4.5-metre thick walls. The lower level was where the accommodation for the soldiers and war horses were located for warfare. There were also paths between the control points for ease of movement in times of war.
The uniqueness of the structure of buildings :
1) Materials
- The materials to build the city were taken from the ruins of mosques and other buildings.
2) Modification
- The Dutch repair and modify, and put their arms on the gate which remains until now the Porta de Santiago, the only door that survived, with the engraving "Anno 1670".
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The interior design in Kota A Famosa
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Baluarte San Pedro
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3) Interior decoration
- Kota A Famosa is equipped with four towers or ketelom (bastions) with a wall as thickness of 2.4 meters to 4.5 meters. The towers are known as Baluarte San Pedro, Baluerte de las Virgenes, Baluerte Madre de Dios, Baluerte Santo Domingo, and Baluerte de Santiago. It is also covered with seventy cannon in all directions.
4) Use past and present
- In the ancient times the building was used to defend Malacca. Now it serves as the domestic and international tourist attraction.
5) Method of construction
- Once they captured Malacca, Portuguese uses forced labour to build the temporary fortress to repel the attack from Malays.
6) The purpose of the building
- A Famosa fortress is built as their defence of Malacca. Portuguese colonists also make the Christian placement with 5 churches, places of worship, monasteries, hospitals and so on.
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