Kalba Fort

Kalba Fort is an 18th-century fortification located inland from the coastal city of Kalba on the eastern seaboard of Sharjah, originally constructed in 1745 with additional expansions made in 1820 to the mudbrick, gypsum, and stone structure. The fort stands on the site of an original Portuguese fortification captured by Commander Gaspar Leite in 1624, featuring unusual construction with distinctive buttressing that suggests development from an original watchtower under Portuguese architectural influence. The two-story murabaa or tower encompasses approximately 1,435 square metres, with surrounding village houses dating back approximately 500 years. The fort was restored and opened as a heritage site in December 1996, then underwent further restoration to open as a museum and visitor attraction in April 2021, displaying artifacts and findings from excavations including items dating to the eighteenth century BC and earlier periods.