TEHRAN – On Friday, Iranian tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan visited the Portuguese Castle in the Persian Gulf island of Hormuz, allocating 40 billion rials (some $952,000) for restoration of the 16th-century monument.

“The tourism ministry gives special attention to this historical monument which is one of the tourist attractions of Hormuz Island,” CHTN quoted Mounesan as saying on Saturday.

The castle, better to be called the fortress that is one of the last surviving monuments of the colonial rule in the Persian Gulf, underwent some vital rehabilitation works earlier this year with sealing the cracks, replacing worn-out stones with new ones, and clearing away the debris among measures being taken.

History of the fortress goes down in time when Commander Afonso de Albuquerque ordered the construction of a fortress in 1507 after his troops capture the island in the early 16th century.

Made from reddish stones on a rocky promontory at the north end of the island, the stronghold was cut off from the rest of the island by a moat, traces of which still remain. It involves arms depot, water reservoir, barrack, prison, church, command center, and central hall.

Muscular-looking walls, chambers, and archways, as well as sets of rusting cannons in the courtyard, still give the area a scenic beauty. In addition, upper levels of the fort offer wonderful views of the island, its village, rugged mountains all surrounded by the blue waters of the Persian Gulf.

AFM/MG