Fort Cornwallis, Star fort in George Town, Malaysia.
Fort Cornwallis is a star fortification in George Town on Penang Island, positioned at the northeastern corner of the city center along the waterfront. The complex consists of thick stone walls that enclose an open field where a steel lighthouse, old cannons, and several low stone buildings stand.
The British East India Company built the first wooden palisade in 1786 when Captain Francis Light landed at this site and claimed the island as a trading outpost. The present stone walls replaced the original timber structure between 1808 and 1810, while the chapel dates to 1799.
The fort is named after Charles Cornwallis, Governor-General of Bengal when the fort was built. The Seri Rambai cannon, cast in 1603, is the focus of a local practice: women place flowers on it hoping for children. The fort also houses a history gallery and souvenir shop.
The fortification opens daily from 9 AM to 10 PM, with entrance fees of 20 RM for adults and 10 RM for children. The site lies within walking distance of many downtown George Town attractions and is best visited in daylight when details of the walls and cannons are visible.
The Seri Rambai cannon was cast in 1603 and passed from the Dutch East India Company to the Sultan of Johore, then to Aceh in 1613 and to Kuala Selangor in 1795. The British seized it in 1871 after a punitive raid and only moved it into the fort in the 1950s. The VOC crest is still visible on the barrel.
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