7-744: Fort Emmanuel , also known as Fort Manuel , is a ruined fort located at Fort Kochi Beach in Kochi , Kerala , India . It was a bastion of the Portuguese and a symbol of the strategic alliance between the Maharaja of Kochi and the Kingdom of Portugal . Named after Manuel I of Portugal , it was the first Portuguese fort in Asia. In September 1503, the King of Kochi granted permission to Afonso de Albuquerque to build Fort Emmanuel near
14-521: A cantilever with an outstretched net of 20 metres (66 ft) or more, suspended over the sea and large stones suspended from ropes as counterweights at the other end. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fishermen. Other points of interests include the jetty towards the Vembanad Lake respectively to the Kerala backwaters . Colonial-style bungalows can be seen along the shoreline, as well as
21-548: Is a beach along the Arabian Sea , situated in the Fort Kochi neighbourhood of the city of Kochi (Cochin) in Kerala , South India . Unique views and point of interests are the so-called Chinese fishing nets ( Cheena vala , Malayalam language : ചീനവല) and the fishermen working there: commonly known as "Chinese fishing nets" they are shore operated lift nets , each measuring about 10 metres (33 ft) in height, sustaining
28-603: The King of Portugal. The fort was built at the water-bound region towards the south-west of the Kochi mainland. The fortifications were reinforced in 1538. The Portuguese built their settlement behind the fort, including the St Francis Church . Fort Kochi remained in Portuguese possession until 1663, when the Dutch captured the territory and destroyed the Portuguese institutions. The Dutch held
35-684: The Vasco da Gama square, the remains of Fort Emmanuel along the granite walkway and many stalls, which make traditional cuisines using freshly caught fish. A section of the beach is not accessible to visitors as it is under the control of the Indian Navy. As reported by the Deccan Chronicle , the Kochi Corporation started as a temporary measure, a massive cleaning campaign covering heritage structures supported by around 500 volunteers on occasion of
42-608: The fort in their possession until 1795, when the British took control by defeating the Dutch. By 1806 the Dutch, and later the British, had destroyed most of the fort walls and its bastions. In Old Kochi and alongside the Fort Kochi beach, there is a partially restored gun battery and other remains of ramparts and fortifications, which are now tourist destinations. [REDACTED] Media related to Fort Emmanuel, Kochi, Kerala at Wikimedia Commons Fort Kochi Beach Fort Kochi Beach
49-419: The waterfront of the Arabian Sea . The construction was commenced on 26 September, and "it took the shape of a square with flanking bastions at the corners mounted with ordnance". The walls were made of double rows of coconut tree stems securely fastened together and with earth rammed firmly between; it was further protected by a wet ditch. The fort was christened on the morning of 1 October 1503 "Emmanuel", after
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