Makassar,The Gateway of East Indonesia

Makassar,the city where I live is the capital city of South Sulawesi.
The climate here is hot, usually around 37 Celcius Degree.
Makassar as a big harbor and the gateway of East Indonesia was a popular city hundred years ago.
On that time,Makassar is a business city where the sellers & buyers meet to trade spices, sugar, rice, coconut and other precious natural resources.
Many people around the world came to Makassar.
It was a common to see Chinese, Arabic, European and other nations traded each other.

One of a historical building in Makassar is Fort Rotterdam.
This fortress built in 1545 by the 10th King of Gowa named Tunipallangga Ulaweng.
There was a traditional Buginese house in the fortress which represent the characteristic of Gowa Kingdom. It also became the residence of The King's family.

Original name of this fortress is Ujung Pandang Fortress.
People of Gowa-Makassar also called it as Panyyua Fort (Turtle Fort) because of it turtle-shaped buildings.
A turtle illustrate the fact of Gowa Kingdom was a maritime kingdom which has the economy strength and big maritime power, so that the fort served as the media capital of defense or protection from enemy attacks.
Since first, many Buginese and Makassar people known as the sailor who sailed to the Indonesia coasts, even to the Indian Ocean and Madagascar of Africa.

After the hard wars, the Dutch occupied this fortress and changed the name to Fort Rotterdam.
Cornelis Speelman deliberately choose the name to memorize the Fort Rotterdam in Netherland which was his birth place.
The fortress then used by the Netherlands as a spices center in the eastern part of Indonesia.

I will post my very own of Fort Rotterdam picture soon :-)