Archaeologist: The First Portuguese Fortress On Ambon Island Is Located In Leihitu
JAKARTA - The first fort built by the Portuguese on Ambon Island was a wooden fort built in Leihitu District, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, in the early 16th century, not Nossa Senhora da Anunciada Fort in Ambon City, said archaeologist Andre Huwae.
"Actually, Nossa Senhora da Anunciada or better known as Laha City is not the first fort built by the Portuguese on Ambon Island, but a wooden fort built between Mamala Village and Hitu Lama," said Andrew Huwae from the Maluku Archeology Center, in Ambon, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, October 27.
A wooden fort building between Mamala Village and Hitu Lama which was built in the early 16th century with the permission of the Four Prime Hitu.
Unlike the other fort buildings that were built by the Portuguese on Ambon Island, the unnamed wooden fort located in Leihitu District was not a military defense building, but functioned as a temporary settlement for Portuguese ship crews sailing from the waters of Malacca and Ternate.
However, because the Portuguese managed to establish friendship with Hative and Tawiri who were on the southern coast of the Hitu Peninsula, the Hitu Kingdom later changed their minds and urged them to leave the first building they built on Ambon Island.
"With the help of Hative and Tawiri, the Portuguese were again able to build a wooden fort around Hukunalu, now the name is Rumahtiga Village, but apparently the fort could not guarantee security and they were forced to leave it too," he said.
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Andre said that unlike the wooden fort located between Mamala Village and Hitu Lama, the construction of Nossa Senhora da Anunciada Fort started with the construction of a fort on Honipopu Beach. The fort wall with its towers was built complete with a number of houses in it within three months.
The naming of Nossa Senhora da Anunciada is related to the celebration of Easter or Anunciada which coincided with the laying of the first stone on March 23, 1575 by Sancho de Vasconcelos, commander of the Portuguese fleet in Maluku.
"According to eyewitnesses from the 17th and 18th centuries, both Rumphius, Valentijn and Rijali, the fort is better known by the residents of Ambon City as Kota Laha. Kota means fort and Laha means bay," said Andre Huwae.