Moti Daman Fort is a remarkable historical sight. This fort was erected by an Abyssinian chief who ruled over the area before the settlement of the Portuguese. It is mainly known for its architecture which was later on used by the Portuguese. The fort is surrounded with Portuguese settlements with pretty cottages, gardens, churches, a hospital, a nunnery and the Governor"s palace. Built with steep walls, this is one of biggest attractions of Daman.

Location of Moti Daman Fort
Moti Daman Fort is spread over 30 square kilometres. It is situated at Daman and Diu.

History of Moti Daman Fort
Moti Daman Fort in Daman dated back to 1559 AD. There was a Muslim citadel at the site, before the construction of the fort, which was controlled by an Abyssinian chief. The Portuguese kick-started the construction of the Moti Daman fort, after the suppression of the Muslim citadel. The building work continued well up to the end of the 16th century.

Architecture of Moti Daman Fort
The fort is polygonal in plan with projections at regular spaces. This is about 500 feet high. It carries angular bastions which stand at regular intervals. Inside the fort there are the parapets above the wall. These provide loop holes which provide access to view the surroundings. Along with this the fort includes the barricades of the soldiers, a number of inscriptions which are engraved above the southern and northern gates, the secretariat and a number of other prominent official buildings of the age.

The inscriptions above the southern gate mentions that it was completed after the invasion of Mughal Emperor Akbar while the inscriptions above northern gate can be dated back to 1593 AD when the fort is expected to have been completed. With these inscriptions one can trace the significance of the fort which used to station a number of Portuguese families. As such it was one of the biggest settlements of the Portuguese when they arrived in India.

Besides the structure of the fort, the place is surrounded with the ruins of Dominican monastery. The piles of pillars had been a major centre of theological studies which declined in due course of time. The place is still visited by the local people who attend a mass on every 3rd Sunday that is held in the honour of the patron saint Dominic. The Moti Daman fort is further surrounded with numerous steps and small hide outs where the defending soldiers were supposed to load and unload their barons. This give some idea about the system of protection provided during that age.

Visiting Information of Moti Daman Fort
The tourists can a get flight to Surat Airport on regular basis to reach at Moti Daman Fort. Nearest train station is Bagwada. Daman is well connected to other foremost cities of the country via regular buses.