Malacca, Malaysia

Malacca

The Capture of Malacca in 1511

The Capture of Malacca in 1511

The Capture of Malacca in 1511 occurred when the Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque subdued the city of Malacca in 1511. The port city of Malacca controlled the narrow strategic strait of Malacca, through which all seagoing trade between China and India was concentrated. The capture of Malacca was the result of a plan by the […]

A Famosa Fortress, in Malacca

A Famosa Fortress, in Malacca

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 […]

Portuguese Malacca, 1511-1641

Portuguese Malacca, 1511-1641

Portuguese Malacca was the territory of Malacca that, for 130 years (1511–1641), was a Portuguese colony. According to the 16th-century Portuguese historian Emanuel Godinho de Erédia, the site of the old city of Malacca was named after the Myrobalans, fruit-bearing trees along the banks of a river called Airlele (Ayer Leleh). The Airlele river was […]

Malacca Town during the Portuguese Era

Malacca Town during the Portuguese Era

Outside of the fortified town center lie the three suburbs of Malacca. The suburb of Upe (Upih), generally known as Tranqueira (modern day Tengkera) from the rampart of the fortress. The other two suburb were Yler (Hilir) or Tanjonpacer (Tanjung Pasir) and the suburb of Sabba. Tranqueira Tranqueira was the most important suburb of Malacca. […]