Fort São Sebastião, Portuguese fortress on Island of Mozambique, Mozambique.
Fort São Sebastião stands as a rectangular stone structure with thick coral walls at the northern end of Stone Town, overlooking the Channel of Mozambique.
Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati designed this military stronghold in 1558, taking fifty years to complete as the Portuguese secured their trade route to India.
The fort represents a fusion of European military architecture with local building techniques, incorporating coral stone from the region into its defensive structure.
Guided tours of the fort allow access to the interior sections, including former barracks, storerooms, and preserved cannons from the colonial period.
The Zamani Project created detailed 3D laser scans of the entire fortress in 2013, documenting every aspect of this oldest complete fort in sub-Saharan Africa.
Location: Island of Mozambique
Part of: Island of Mozambique
GPS coordinates: -15.02892,40.74380
Latest update: March 4, 2025 08:18
Mozambique offers photographers white sand beaches, coral reefs, historic buildings and national parks. The coastal region features lighthouses and shipwrecks. The interior reveals mountains and reservoirs.
Mount Namuli
397.4 km
Quirimbas National Park
324.8 km
Mozambique Island Bridge
4.1 km
Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte
84 m
Chocas Mar
10.4 km
National Museum of Ethnography Nampula
159.1 km
Jesuit College and Chapel of Saint Paul (Governor’s Palace)
748 m
Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral
159.6 km
Ibo fortresses
300 km
Fortim de São José do Ibo
299.3 km
Fort São Lourenço
3 km
Wimbe Beach
230.3 km
Church Saint Anthony
2.1 km
Tambuzi Island
407.6 km
St. Paul's Cathedral, Pemba
231.1 km
Fort Saint Anthony
2 km
Pinda Lighthouse
91.4 km
Medjumbe Lighthouse
357.9 km
Lighthouse on Goa island
5.6 km
Church of Our Lady of Remedy (Cabaceira Grande)
5.5 km
Church of Our Lady of Health
1.7 km
Courthouse, Ilha de Moçambique
766 m
São João Batista do Ibo Fortress
300 km
Santo Antonio Fort
299.7 km
Chindini
455.6 km
Marché alimentaire de mitsoudjé
451.3 km
Nioumachoua
437.1 km
Mouandzaza
452.5 kmReviews
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