The Fortress of Muxima, built of stone and mortar in 1599, is situated in the
Bengo Province
Bengo is a province of Angola. Its capital is Caxito. It has an area of 31,371 square kilometres, and its population as of the 2014 Census was 356,641. The province was created in 1980 by dividing the original province of Luanda into Bengo and ...
of
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
next to the
Cuanza River
The Kwanza River, also known as the Coanza, the Quanza, and the Cuanza, is one of the longest rivers in Angola. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean just south of the national capital Luanda.
Geography
The river is navigable for about from its ...
.
History
Founded in 1599, the Fortress of "Muxima" is placed in the district of
Muxima
Muxima is a town and commune in the municipality of Quiçama, Luanda Province, Angola. The village, located by Kwanza river, was occupied in 1589 by the Portuguese who erected a church and a fortress in 1599. Muxima means "heart" in Kimbundu. It ...
on the left bank of the Kwanza River, Province of Bengo. It deals with the first prison of the Angolan occupation period. It helped the advance of penetration to the interior of the Angolan territory and assured the defense against the Angolan people who offered resistance to the Portuguese occupation and the other colonial potencies, of which the ships going up the Kwanza River went looking for the slaves in the interior of the country. Its building would come to support the trading relationships, the markets, the inlander ones, the
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
and
slave trafficking. The Fortress of "Muxina" was used as the basis of Portuguese forces and its support when they went to the interior making raids and wars of "kwata-kwata" (wars among the africans linked to the Europeans who working to them, caught the other africans for the slavery). The slaves went by land in long raws to the vila of Calumbo, or were sent by sea in the Muxirna harbour and going down by ship the Kwanza River were sent to America. It was classified as National Monument by Provincial Decret n. 2, 12 of January of 1924. This Fortress is badly preserved and constitute a state property. The responsibility for its maintenance and preservation concerns the Ministry of Culture.
Fortress of Muxima - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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World Heritage status
This site was added to the UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
Tentative List on 22 November 1996 in the Cultural category.
See also
* World Heritage sites in Africa
References
{{coords, 9, 31, 17.94, S, 13, 57, 35.85, E, display=title
Infrastructure completed in 1599
Muxima
Muxima is a town and commune in the municipality of Quiçama, Luanda Province, Angola. The village, located by Kwanza river, was occupied in 1589 by the Portuguese who erected a church and a fortress in 1599. Muxima means "heart" in Kimbundu. It ...
Bengo Province