Porta de Santiago Historical Facts and Pictures

Porta de Santiago is a small gate house built within the great Portuguese fortress, A Famosa, situated in Malacca, Malaysia. The gate house is the only remaining part of this grand Portuguese architectural structure, built by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1512, one year after the Portuguese invasion in Malacca.

Porta de Santiago Images

Porta de Santiago Photos

Entrance to the Porta de Santiago

Entrance of Porta de Santiago

The existence of this gate today is only due to the timely intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles, who rescued this ancient historical structure from extinction after the British became wary of maintaining the fortress and authorized to dismantle it.

Porta de Santiago Pictures

The fortress resembles a well-guarded village from inside, comprising several churches, hospitals, administration complex, Governor’s residence and other amenities.

Porta de Santiago

Fortified with thick walls and a 40 meter tall watch tower, the main purpose of the construction was to prevent the attacks of the Malacca Sulatanate and the Acheh and Johor empires.

Porta de Santiago Inside

Porta de Santiago Entrance View

Porta de Santiago has undergone various diversities of time through different colonial powers. In 1641, the Dutch conquered the Portuguese colony in Malacca, renovating the fort in 1670. It was then handed over to the British Government in the 19th century in order to restrain it from falling into the possession of Napoleon.

Porta de Santiago Entrance

Although exterminated from most of its parts, Porta de Santiago is still a constant reminder of one of the greatest constructions by the Portuguese.