The Muxima Fortress

It is located in the village of Muxima, in the municipality of Quiçama, in the province of Luanda, in Angola. This is the first arrest during the period of Angolan occupation.

History
The occupation of the site by Portuguese forces dates back to the establishment, in 1581, of a small military post on the left bank of the Kwanza River, by the then governor of Angola, Paulo Dias de Novais. Later, this post became a prison (military colonization establishment), with the function of defense against the people of Quiçama.
In 1599, to defend the prison, governor João Furtado de Mendonça ordered the construction of a new fortification.
At this time, the prison offered support to commercial relations in the region, serving as an active warehouse for goods and slaves awaiting transport to the American continent.
The works only began, however, at the beginning of the following century. The prison was transferred to a new location in 1609, by order of governor Manuel Pereira Forjaz.
In the context of the Dutch invasion of Angola in 1641, the prisons on the Kwanza River constituted a line of resistance by Portuguese settlers to the invader.
Thus, in 1646, Muxima was attacked by Dutch forces, with the population taking refuge in the fortress.
It was rebuilt in 1655, as inscribed on the coat of arms, with Captain Francisco de Novais.
He played a supporting role for Portuguese forces in the so-called Kwata-Kwata Wars, inter-tribal conflicts involving tribes employed by Europeans to capture other tribes, subjecting them to slavery.
Until the mid-19th century, the prison and its garrison were governed by a Captain-Major.
It was classified as a National Monument by Provincial Decree No. 2, of January 12, 1924.
In the context of the Second World War, it stationed Portuguese troops from 1941, which were kept there until 1948.
In 1956, it was classified as a Property of Public Interest.
Neighboring the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Muxima, it was in ruins and in a precarious state of conservation, having been restored around 2008. Owned by the State, it is assigned to the Ministry of Culture.