Fort Margherita is an old

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

constructed in 1879 by Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak situated in Kuching,

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The fort is an important landmark and monument in Sarawak's history which goes back to the Brooke Dynasty. The fort, built in the style of an English castle, was designed to protect Kuching from being attacked by pirates. It served as a Police Museum from 1971 before being handed over to the

Government of Sarawak The Sarawak Government is an authority governing Sarawak, one of the Borneo states of Malaysia, and is based in Kuching, the state capital. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the suprem ...

and now is a tourist attraction in Kuching. The fort now houses the Brooke Gallery, an exhibition showcasing the history of Sarawak under the Brooke Dynasty. It is situated across the

Sarawak River The Sarawak River ( ms, Sungai Sarawak) is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is an important source of water and transportation for the inhabitants in southwestern Sarawak. The river is also used for water-related sport activities such as the annu ...

near The Astana, the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak and is accessible by road. It is a 15-minute drive along

Petra Jaya Petra Jaya is a suburb of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. This suburb was named after sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Yahya Petra of Kelantan (1975-1979). History The suburb was founded in the 1970s by Sarawak chief minister at that time named ...

, or a short river cruise from Pangkalan Batu, in front of Main Bazaar on Kuching Waterfront and located next to the

New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building The New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building ( ms, Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak Baru) is the current state legislative complex of Sarawak, in Kuching, Malaysia. It houses the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, where state assem ...

. It is part of the Kuching Heritage Trail.

History

Fort Margherita is named after Brooke's beloved wife, Margaret Alice Lili de Windt, whom he married at

Highworth Highworth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, England, about northeast of Swindon town centre. The 2011 Census recorded a population of 8,151. The town is notable for its Queen Anne and Georgian buildings, dating ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

on 28 October 1869; she was raised to the title of Ranee of Sarawak with the style of Her Highness upon their marriage. The fort was built on a hill overlooking the

and situated on the north bank opposite the then fast expanding town centre of Kuching. The fort was well equipped to protect the capital from river-borne invasions.

Features

The three-storey tower block's battlement includes a watchpoint on top, a courtyard surrounded by a high wall with sharp glass shards inlaid for protection, and set into the wall itself are wooden windows from where the cannons were fired. Executions of prisoners were carried out in this courtyard, right up to the Japanese occupation during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

The Brooke Gallery

In 2016, The Brooke Gallery, which showcases belongings from the Brooke family and artefacts during their time as the

White Rajahs The White Rajahs were a dynastic monarchy of the British Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Raj of Sarawak, located on the north west coast of the island of Borneo, from 1841 to 1946. The first ruler was Briton James Brooke. As a reward ...

was opened. The gallery is a collaboration between the State Museum Department, Tourism Cultural and Heritage Sarawak and the Brooke Trust. The opening of the gallery received support from volunteers from Sarawak, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and Australia.

References

External links

Brooke Gallery - Brook Trust website
{{Raj of Sarawak Buildings and structures in Kuching Margherita Royal residences in Malaysia Monuments and memorials in Malaysia Tourist attractions in Kuching 1879 establishments in Sarawak