Going Back in Time: Fort Kyk-Over-Al was built by the Dutch in 1616 (some accounts suggest earlier) on an…

Going Back in Time: Fort Kyk-Over-Al was built by the Dutch in 1616 (some accounts suggest earlier) on an island at the confluence of the Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers. The fort served as the administrative seat of the Essequibo colony. Its position allowed monitoring of river traffic and approaching vessels along the three waterways. By the early 1700s, limited space on the island could no longer accommodate the growing administration. The government relocated to Fort Island in 1718, after which Fort Kyk-Over-Al fell into disuse and was dismantled by 1748. Source: Marco Basir