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Bahrain Iran Oman Portuguese Colonialism United Arab Emirates

Arabia and Persian Gulf. List of Portuguese colonial forts and possessions

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster. YEMEN: Soko (Socotra): Fortaleza de São Miguel Portuguese: Apr./May 1507 fort – 1511 abandoned and dismantled Source: Pereira da Costa “Socotra e o domínio português no Oriente” Kamaran:  Kamaran is an island in west Yemen. In the 16th Century, portuguese established there an outpost. Source: wikipedia […]

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Portuguese Colonialism United Arab Emirates

Portuguese Fort at Bidyah in the United Arab Emirates

Written by Marco Ramerini, Photos and Information by Michele Ziolkowski The town of Bidyah in the United Arab Emirates, is found midway along the coast between Fujairah and Dibba. According to the Portuguese souces, the Portuguese had in the area a fort called Libidia. A team consisting of Australian and local archaeologists excavated the area […]

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Portuguese Colonialism United Arab Emirates

The Portuguese forts of Quelba and Corfacão (Khor Fakkan)

The city of Khor Fakkan (Corfação) is located along the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (25°20’N – 56°22’E). Here, the Portuguese, around 1620, built a triangular fortress with triangular bastions and a round tower in the center. In the log book of the Dutch vessel the Meerkat (1666) we read: “Gorfacan is a place on a […]

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Portuguese Colonialism United Arab Emirates

The Portuguese forts of Mada and Libedia

The two fortresses of Mada and Libedia were located along the eastern coast of the present United Arab Emirates. Libedia has been identified in the present town of Bidyah (25 ° 26’N – 56 ° 21’E) along the coast midway between Fujairah and Dibba. The two forts were square or rectangular shape with bastions at […]

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Portuguese Colonialism United Arab Emirates

The Portuguese fort of Doba

The fortress of Doba, probably the present town of Diba al Hisn (25 ° 36’N – 56 ° 17’E) today in the emirate of Al-Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, was a square fortress with round bastions and a tower in the center. The Portuguese controlled the city from 1624 to 1648. For the image thanks to […]

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Bahrain Iran Oman Portuguese Colonialism United Arab Emirates

The Portuguese on the Persian Gulf and on the Arabian Peninsula

Written by Marco Ramerini. English text revision by Dietrich Köster The Portuguese decided shortly after their arrival in the Eastern Seas to prevent the Arabs’ trade by the conquest of Ormuz. For its strategical position, dominating the entrance to the Persian Gulf, Ormuz was one of the two strategical strongholds on the trade routes between […]