The History Of Kalamata Fort

Kalamata Fortress with a scenic backdrop of Ternate City In order to expand the influence and

power of the Portuguese people on the island of Ternate, Antonio Pigaveta initiated the

construction of a fort in 1540. The fort was later known as Fort Santa Lucia. In short, the

expansion of power and trade monopoly by the Portuguese clashed with Sultan Baabullah's

efforts to spread Islam. War could not be avoided and at its peak in 1575, the Portuguese were

successfully driven out of Ternate Island. This condition was then exploited by the Spanish, Fort

Santa Lucia was controlled and used as a trading post and defense post.

Kalamata Fortress with a scenic backdrop of Maitara Island and Tidore Island The arrival of the

Dutch in Ternate was a very serious threat to Spain. The conflict between the two nations led to

wars in an attempt to monopolize the spice trade. Fort Santa Lucia became a silent witness in

the war involving the two white nations, where the fort was used by the Spanish as the center

for launching attacks against the Dutch. The two countries took turns occupying the fort located
on the sea coast of the Maitara Strait. Spain managed to control it until the year 1663. On 29

April 1798, Fort Santa Lucia was captured by the troops of Kaicil Nuku (19th Sultan of Tidore)

who were assisted by the British fleet. However, because he was betrayed, the fort was

controlled by the British in 1801. After that, the Dutch managed to reclaim it and rule it until

1810. Fort Santa Lucia, also known as Fort Kayu Merah, later changed its name to Fort

Kalamata. The Dutch took the name from the name of a prince of Ternate, Kaicil Kalamata, who

was the brother of Sultan Mandarsjah and uncle of Sultan Kaicil Sibori Amsterdam. In terms of

architecture, this fort is in the form of an irregular (triangulated) rectangle with four bastions

having an embrasure in the parapet of each bastion. When viewed from above, this fort

resembles a turtle. The wall thickness is approximately 60 centimeters and has a height of

about 3 meters. The walls are composed of andesite and rock that are glued together using

kalero, a type of lime produced from burning rocks. The lime is then mixed with sand and water

from the Lubiri tree bark

Kalamata Fortress walls