Sheikh Sultan orders construction of Portuguese Castle Museum in Khor Fakkan
Image Credit: Screengrab
Sharjah: His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has directed the establishment of the Portuguese Castle Museum in Khor Fakkan on the ruins of old castle after its restoration.
The decision was announced on Tuesday on the Direct Line programme on Sharjah TV and Sharjah Radio.
Excavations for the foundations of the castle is underway.
The Portuguese Castle Museum will include a collection of pots, weapons, bombs, ships, cannons, and costumes there was used at that time, especially by Portuguese occupiers who built the castle in 1620. Moreover, details and information of the castle will be written at the entrance to the museum.
A video played during the programme showed the castle’s foundations clearly with three triangular sides and the building materials from which this castle was built.
Background
The Portuguese built a fort at Khor Fakkan that became a ruin by 1666. The log book of the Dutch vessel Meerkat mentions this fort. Earlier, in 1500, a Portuguese explorer, Duarte Barbosa, had described Khor Fakkan as a village “around which gardens and farms are plenty”.
The Portuguese later built a fort there, which had become a ruin by 1666, as well as a customs office before they were driven out of the area.
