Fort Oranye

Natives guard on the gate of Fort Oranye during colonial period.

Floor plan of Fort Oranye, from a report of the North New Guinea Expedition (1903).

Fort Oranye is located at the centre of Ternate City on the island of Ternate, North Maluku province, in Indonesia's Maluku Islands. It is named after the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange.

Built by the Dutch in 1607 when they set about establishing a monopoly the sultan's cloves, it is located on top of an undated Malay version. It was the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Company until it moved to Batavia (Jakarta) around 1619. The fort was later used as the residence of the Dutch governors in Ternate.

Today, the fort is unrestored, although the walls are in good shape despite numerous earthquakes over the years. Parts are used by the military and police. Public access is allowed.

References

• Witton, Patrick (2003). Indonesia. Melbourne: Lonely Planet. p. 823. ISBN 1-74059-154-2. 
• Muller, Karl (1997). Maluku: Indonesian Spice Islands. Singapore: Periplus Editions. p. 107. ISBN 962-593-176-7. 

See also

• Fort Tolukko
• Fort Kalamata

Coordinates: 0°47′34″N 127°23′13″E / 0.7929°N 127.3870°E / 0.7929; 127.3870

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Oranje.