A Famosa was a fort built by the Portuguese when they defeated the Sultanate of Melaka in 1511. When the Dutch drove the Portuguese out of Melaka in 1641, the fort changed hands. It changed hands again when the Dutch handed Melaka over to the British in the 18th century. Thanks to Sir Stamford Raffles, the fort was spared from total demolition when the British was trying to tear down the fort to get away from fortification. That's why we are still able to see the only remaining gate today.
