Sira Fortress

Sira Fortress/Castle (قلعة صيرة) is a military site in Aden, Yemen.

The original fortress dates to the 11th century, and is still in use today by the Yemeni military.

[1] The fort is located on Sira Island, a rocky and tall volcanic outcropping which dominates the old harbor of Aden.

One theory is that construction was initiated around the year 1173 by a Turkish ruler of Aden named Prince Othman Al-Zangabili Al-Takriti.

Although the ancient harbor began to silt up and the primary commercial center eventually moved to the other side of the Aden Peninsula, the British continued to develop and garrison the fortress after their arrival in 1839.