The Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte is located on the most eastern tip of the

Island of Mozambique The Island of Mozambique ( pt, Ilha de Moçambique) lies off northern Mozambique, between the Mozambique Channel and Mossuril Bay, and is part of Nampula Province. Prior to 1898, it was the capital of colonial Portuguese East Africa. With its ric ...

within

Stone Town Stonetown of Zanzibar ( ar, مدينة زنجبار الحجرية), also known as Mji Mkongwe ( Swahili for "old town"), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng'ambo ...

. The island sits off the coast of

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The Chapel is situated outside the

Fort São Sebastião The Fort of São Sebastião lies at the northern end of Stone Town on the Island of Mozambique. It is the oldest complete fort still standing in sub-Saharan Africa. Construction by the Portuguese began in 1558, and it took about fifty years t ...

from which it can be reached through a gate. Built by the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

in 1522, the chapel is considered to be the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere. It is also considered to be one of the finest examples of

Manueline The Manueline ( pt, estilo manuelino, ), occasionally known as Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese architectural style originating in the 16th century, during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. Manuel ...

vaulted architecture in Mozambique.

Gallery

Image:Nossa Senhora do Baluarte - Seaview.gif, Chapel - Seaview Image:Nossa Senhora de Baluarte - Fort view.gif, Chapel - View from Fort Image:Nossa Senhora de Baluarte - Full View.gif, Chapel - Full View Image:Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte.jpg, Chapel - View from Fort Image:Nossa Senhora de Baluarte - Entrance.gif, Chapel - Entrance Image:Nossa Senhora de Baluarte - Inside.gif, Chapel - Inside

Notes

Roman Catholic churches completed in 1522 Roman Catholic churches in Mozambique Buildings and structures in Nampula Province Tourist attractions in Nampula Province 1522 establishments in the Portuguese Empire Portuguese colonial architecture in Mozambique 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings {{Mozambique-church-stub