Ruin
A Famosa
🇲🇾 Malaysia · 16th century
A Famosa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ faˈmɔzɐ]) was a Portuguese fortress built in Malacca, Malaysia, around 1512. The oldest part of the fortress was a five-storey keep which eventually gave its name to the fortress as a whole. Some time following the Battle of Malacca (1641) and the occupation of the city by the Dutch, the keep was destroyed but the outer walls of the fortress were expanded. However, in 1811 the British destroyed all of the original fortress and most of the outer walls. The Porta de Santiago gateway, and the rebuilt Middelburg Bastion, are the only parts of the fortress that remain today.
Text adapted from “A Famosa” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A Famosa ranks #680 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #1 of the 7 mapped in Malaysia. Founded 1511, it is older than 44% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 718 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 7,973 times in the last 60 days, more than 90% of the atlas. See how Malaysia compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is A Famosa?
A Famosa stands in Malaysia, at 2.19162°, 102.25031°.
When was A Famosa built?
The atlas dates its founding to 1511. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
How famous is A Famosa?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #680 of 7,738 worldwide, and #1 in Malaysia. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to A Famosa?
Perdana Putra, about 104 km away.
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- Fort Cornwallis Malaysia · 18th century
- Fort Margherita Malaysia · 19th century
- The Astana Malaysia · 19th century
- Dutch Fort Malaysia · 17th century
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