Fort Zoutman

Fort Zoutman (Dutch pronunciation: [fɔrt ˈsʌutmɑn])[a] is a military fortification at Oranjestad, Aruba.

Originally built in 1798 by African slaves, with materials provided by the Amerindians, who performed Statute Labour or corvée for the Dutch West India Company, it is the oldest structure on the island of Aruba, one of the main tourist attractions on the island, and regarded by UNESCO as a 'Place of Memory of the Slave Trade Route in the Latin Caribbean'.

[1][2] The Dutch first settled Paardenbaai (English: Bay of Horses) on the island of Aruba as an intermediate harbor between Curaçao and Venezuela.

While occupied by a small colonial constabulary brigade in 1859, prison cells were constructed against the eastern and western walls, eliminating some of the embrasures and gun ports.

[1] It is open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Exhibits cover the early history and development of Aruba during the beginning of the twentieth century.

The tower at night