Fort Sylvia

The Fort Sylvia is a historic castle in Kapit, Sarawak, Malaysia. Built in 1880, it changed into renamed after Rani Sylvia Brooke, spouse of Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke, in 1925. During the Sixties, the castle housed the District Office and the District Court House, and later the Resident’s Office while Kapit Division was fashioned in 1973. In May 1997, the Sarawak state authorities gave approval for the monument to be controlled by means of the Tun Jugah Foundation and to set up a museum within the fortress itself. The Tun Jugah Foundation turned into given the responsibility of conservation and maintenance works, which started at once and was completed via December 1998.

To prevent further Iban migration upriver in the Rajang River basin, which become creating conflicts with the Orang Ulu, Rajah Charles Brooke constructed Baleh Fort at Nanga Balleh, the confluence of the Rejang and Baleh rivers among Kanowit and Song in late 1874. Rajah Charles Brooke nearly drowned right here in 1877 whilst his boat capsized in the harmful currents. He abandoned the fortress in 1878, and changed it with a brand new citadel located lower down the river in 1880. The new Kapit Fort changed into constructed entirely of ‘belian’ timber with thick walls to face up to assaults.