The Fort São José of Ibo (''Fortim de São José do Ibo'' in Portuguese) is one of the three forts built by the

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

on Ibo Island,

Cabo Delgado Province Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of Mozambique. It has an area of and a population of 2,320,261 (2017). As well as bordering Mtwara Region in the neighboring country of Tanzania, it borders the provinces of Nampula and Niassa. The reg ...

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 ...

History

It was the first fort to be built on Ibo Island, in 1764, to defend the Portuguese settlers and their trade from French, English or Madagascar pirates, and it is located by the islands harbour. Initially named Fort ''Santa Bárbara'' by governor Caetano Alberto Júdice who had it built, by 1809 it became known as ''São José''. It lost its military function when the fort ''São João Baptista'' was built in 1791. The fort has an approximately rectangular plan, containing the troops' barracks and warehouse, and it was equipped with seven small-caliber iron guns. The corners facing the sea being surmounted by watchhouses. It was restored in 1945 by the Mozambican Historical Monuments and Relics Commission, demolishing the buildings that had been erected between 1899 and 1900 that had de-characterized it.

References

{{Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese empire , state=collapsed 18th-century fortifications Forts in Mozambique Portuguese forts Buildings and structures in Cabo Delgado Province Tourist attractions in Cabo Delgado Province Portuguese colonial architecture in Mozambique

History

See also

References