02 June 2007 (New Straits Times) – The New Straits Times has a weekend focus on the restoration works of the Malacca Fort, first built by the Portuguese after their conquest of Malacca, and then later occupied by the Dutch. Much of the fort was destroyed by the British colonialists and thought lost forever until parts of the fort’s bastion was discovered last year.
Rise of the Great Fort
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Following the discovery, the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry proposed to reconstruct the Malacca Fort, for which the Cabinet approved a fund of RM12.8 million three months ago.
Rui and Nordin are part of a team of local and foreign experts comprising historians, archaeologists, architects, geologists and conservationists put together by the Department of National Heritage to oversee the fort’s reconstruction.
Heading the team is Heritage Commissioner Datuk Professor Zuraina Majid.
“We are not aiming to rebuild the whole fort, only about 50 per cent of the original.
“What is of primary concern is the authenticity of our reconstruction,” says Zuraina.
With only the foundations to work with, her team will have to rely heavily on historic documents by authors like Tome Pires and Emanuel Godinho de Eredia, drawings, paintings, as well as consultation with experts familiar with the architecture of that era.
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Read more about the Malacca Fort, the Fortaleza D’Malacca also known as A’Famosa.
