Fort Cornwallis, Pulau Pinang

Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia

Fort Cornwallis, named after the Governor-General in Bengal in the late 1700s, Charles Cornwallis, is one of the most interesting historical landmarks in Georgetown. It is located close to the Esplanade, next to the Victoria Memorial Clock. Fort Cornwallis was erected in 1786, not long after he acquired Pulau Pinang for the East India Company, from the Sultan of Kedah. The site where the fort was built is actually the first place where Light disembarked from his ship in 1768.  Although built for defense by design, throughout its existence, Fort Cornwallis served more as an administrative centre for the British, having survived without much threat of enemy attacks. The fort's walls, roughly 10 feet high, are laid out in a star-shape formation. Inside the fort, you can still see some of the original structures built over a century ago, including a chapel, prison cells, ammunitions storage area, a harbour light once used to signal incoming ships, the original flagstaff and several old bronze cannons, one of which is a Dutch cannon called the Seri Rambai, dated 1603. An interesting note about the Seri Rambai is that some locals believe that these particular cannon can have a positive effect on a woman's fertility.

                                               

The statue of the legendary Sir Captain Francis  Light also can be found at Fort Cornwallis