Fortress of Muxima

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Portuguese coat of arms on the fortress of Muxima

The fortress of Muxima is a fortress that was built by the Portuguese in Angola in 1599 .

history

The fortress in Muxima was part of a series of Portuguese fortifications along the Angolan coast that were built around the year 1600, such as in Massangano in 1583 and Cambambe in 1604. A decisive factor in the construction of the fortress was its location on the Cuanza River , which Enabled access to the interior of the country. The fortress of Muxima was used as a base for Portuguese troops who, for example, set out on raids inland. Muxima also became important in the slave trade , as the Portuguese enslaved more and more Angolan people and they were shipped to the New World via Muxima . The ivory trade was also an important industry in Maxima.

On January 12, 1924, the fortress was classified as a Portuguese National Monument ( Monumento Nacional ). Since 2003 it has been listed in the Portuguese list of monuments SIPA under the number 20043.

today

The condition of the fortress is described as poor. The facility is owned by the Angolan state and is maintained by the Ministry of Culture. The fortress of Muxima has been on Angola's tentative list since 1996 , so it was proposed for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lukonde Luansi: Angola: between regional hegemony and national suicide . Tectum Verlag, 2001, ISBN 978-3-8288-8255-3 , p. 46 .
  2. ↑ Fortress of Muxima - UNESCO World Heritage Center. In: whc.unesco.org. Retrieved November 12, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Fortaleza de Muxima. In: monumentos.gov.pt. Retrieved November 12, 2019 (Portuguese).

Coordinates: 9 ° 31 ′ 19.1 ″  S , 13 ° 57 ′ 35.6 ″  E