History of The City of Makassar
The early city and port of Makassar were situated at the mouth of the Tallo River, with a small trading port in that area at the end of the 15th century. Portuguese sources report that the city of Tallo was originally under the Siang Kingdom, located around Pangkajene. In the mid-16th century, Tallo united with another small kingdom called Gowa and began to break away from the Siang Kingdom, even attacking and conquering neighboring kingdoms. As a result of the intensification of agricultural activities upstream of the Tallo River, the river began to silt up. Consequently, the city's port was relocated to the mouth of the Jeneberang River. It was here that the ruling elites of Gowa-Tallo began constructing the seat of power, including the Somba Opu Fortress, which would become the core of Makassar City a hundred years later. During the reign of King Gowa XVI, the Rotterdam Fortress was established. This period saw increased activity in local, reg...