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Fortim de São José do Ibo

🇲🇿 Mozambique · 18th century

Fortim de São José do Ibo in Mozambique
Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Fort São José of Ibo (Fortim de São José do Ibo in Portuguese) is one of the three forts built by the Portugal on Ibo Island, Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique.

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.

Text adapted from “Fort São José (Ibo)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Fortim de São José do Ibo ranks #8,085 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #7 of the 8 mapped in Mozambique. Founded 1764, it is older than 16% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 556 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. See how Mozambique compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗

Frequently asked questions

Where is Fortim de São José do Ibo?

Fortim de São José do Ibo stands in Mozambique, at -12.3445°, 40.58265°.

When was Fortim de São José do Ibo built?

The atlas dates its founding to 1764. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Fortim de São José do Ibo?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #8,085 of 8,134 worldwide, and #7 in Mozambique. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Fortim de São José do Ibo?

Fort São Sebastião, about 299 km away.

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