The city of Malacca was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511. To suppress the attacks of the local Malays, they immediately started the constructions of temporary camps, as well as the main stronghold called the Fortaleza de Malaca, now better known as A Famosa. The Portuguese colonizers used forced labor to construct the buildings, which took around five months to complete. Many of the laborers died from the scorching heat and shortage of food. To make matters worse, materials are said to have been taken from the mosques and other buildings…
