Fortress
Fort St. George
🇮🇳 India · 17th century
Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress at the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English (later British) fortress in India. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land. Thus, it is a feasible contention to say that the city (named Madras since before the arrival of the Europeans until July 1996) evolved around the fortress. The fort currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official buildings.
Text adapted from “Fort St. George” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fort St. George ranks #412 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #15 of the 172 mapped in India. Founded 1639, it is older than 29% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 580 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 10,614 times in the last 60 days, more than 93% of the atlas. See how India compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Fort St. George?
Fort St. George stands in India, at 13.07972°, 80.28694°.
When was Fort St. George built?
The atlas dates its founding to 1639. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
How famous is Fort St. George?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #412 of 7,738 worldwide, and #15 in India. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Fort St. George?
Fort Geldria, about 38 km away.
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