Fort Cornwallis - Penang

Entrance to Fort Cornwallis

According to the leaflet about Fort Cornwallis, Francis Light erected a fort of nibong palms at the tip of the cape which called Fort Point and named it after the Governor General in Bengal- Charles Cornwallis soon after taking possession of the island Penang in 1786. Fort Cornwallis was the first military and administrative base of the East India Company and the garrison of Fort Cornwallis consisted of a handful of Europeans who resided within the fort, and Sepoys, who dwelt in attap huts next to the fort. This star shaped fort mounted with cannons along the perimeter and the most famous of these cannons is the Seri Rambai which still located at the northwest bastion of the fort. Today, relics such as chapel, store, cell rooms and the gunpowder magazine are still remaining in this fort. History galleries from the early 1700 and staff with colonial costume now is part of the attraction to visit this fort.

Constructed in 1814 to store explosives. It was designed to minimize the damage caused by an explosion.