Fort Jesus overlooks the entrance to Mombasa's Old Port on the coast of Kenya, built by the Portuguese between 1593 and 1596 to a design by the Italian military architect Giovanni Battista Cairati to secure their trading position on the Swahili coast. Laid out in the shape of a man when viewed from above, a form associated with the fort's dedication, its coral-stone bastions were built to the star-shaped fortification principles then current in European military engineering. Control of the fort changed hands repeatedly over the following centuries between the Portuguese, Omani Arabs and the British, who used it as a prison in the colonial period, reflecting the shifting powers that contested the East African coast. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2011.
Facts
Building Type Completed Year Classification
Standing Status Building Type
Building Type (category) Connections
Has Building Type
In Style
Source Fort Jesus, Wikipedia
Uses Element
Source UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fort Jesus, Mombasa
Source UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fort Jesus, Mombasa
In the Other Atlases
Located In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.
Sources
1. Fort Jesus, Wikipedia
Lead
is a fort located on Mombasa Island
Infobox: image
Fort Jesus at the Mombasa Island.jpg
History
it was built between 1593 and 1596
Entity description and the lead/infobox of the Wikipedia article
Fort Jesus (Portuguese: Forte Jesus de Mombaça; Swahili: Boma la Yesu la Mombasa), is a fort located on Mombasa Island. Designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati, it was built between 1593 and 1596 by order of King Felipe II of Spain, who also reigned as King Filipe I of Portugal and the Algarves, to guard the Old Port of Mombasa. Fort Jesus is the only fort maintained by the Portuguese on the Swahili coast and is recognised as a testament to the first successful attempt by a W
In Style: Portuguese Colonial Architecture, Wikipedia categories
Category:Portuguese colonial architecture in Kenya
View the SourceUNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fort Jesus, Mombasa
UNESCO World Heritage CentreUses Element: Stone, justification_en
Authenticity In regard to authenticity, Fort Jesus, Mombasa, hasretained its form, design and materials, with coral stone and lime mortar still being used in the traditional way, where necessary, for repair and conservation work.
Uses Element: Lime Mortar, justification_en
Authenticity In regard to authenticity, Fort Jesus, Mombasa, hasretained its form, design and materials, with coral stone and lime mortar still being used in the traditional way, where necessary, for repair and conservation work.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.