Fort Zeelandia

The Tentative List received Fort Zeelandia and the Court of Policy Building in 1995. They were both built in 1743, however, they are not on the same plot of ground. The fort is built on the water, with parts of it vanishing into the sea. Slaves were auctioned and churches were held at the Policy Building.

Although Fort Zeelandia appears to be abandoned, the ruins of a bygone era continue to murmur the story of prosperity and decline. The 70-meter-long stretches of the old Fort Zeelandia's exterior walls, which were fashioned using brick blocks mixed with glutinous rice, sugar, and oyster shells, may still be seen today. Remember that, despite all of the tempting local cuisine, a trip to Anping is never complete without a visit to the ancient Anping Old Fort.

To save money, the colony of Essequibo's secretary Laurens Storm Vans Gravesande (the colony's longest-serving Dutch Commandeur 1738–1776) designed this brick fort to replace a wooden construction. According to legend, the design "follows a pattern of lozenge-shaped forts that were common in West Africa at the time." The Armory, utilized for ammunition storage, and many canons evocative of the site's combative history, are located within the Fort's courtyard.

Location: Fort Island, Guyana