Fortress of São José da Amura

The Fortress of São José da Amura is a Portuguese colonial fort at the heart of Bissau, built in the eighteenth century to guard the harbour and administer the colony. Its thick walls enclose a parade ground and buildings that later served military roles. Within the compound lies the mausoleum of Amílcar Cabral, leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, making it a site of national memory. The fortress is among the most important historic structures in the capital.