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 small bay, which has about 200 small houses all built from date branches, near the beach. It had on the northern side a triangular Portuguese fortress, of which the desolate ruins can still be seen. On the southern coast of the bay in a corner there is another fortress on a hill, but there is no garrison nor artillery on it, and it is also in ruins.”

Just 35 km south of Khor Fakkan is the town of Quelba (Kalba). Here on March 1624 the Portuguese built a square fortress.

Portuguese forts of Quelba and Corfacão from Prof. Rui Carita Lyvro de Plantaforma das Fortalezas da Índia

For the image thanks to Prof. Nuno Varela Rubim and Prof. Rui Carita (“O Lyvro de Plantaforma das Fortalezas da Índia, na Fortaleza de S. Julião da Barra, com 22 plantas de anónimo (I Manuel Godinho de Erédia, de cerca de 1620), e 55 plantas de anónimo (II de cerca de 1640)”).

Quelba and Corfação. Text of the document from Prof. Rui Carita Lyvro de Plantaforma das Fortalezas da Índia