São Tiago of Banastarim Fort

São Tiago of Banastarim Fort, also known as Fort St. James Banastarim or Benastari Castle, is a historic fortification located on the right bank of the Cumbarjua Canal at the eastern tip of Old Goa in North Goa, Goa. Originally built by local rulers and later taken over by the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque in 1512, it was regarded as a strategic point and called the "key to Goa."

The Portuguese rebuilt and expanded the fort, integrating earlier structures, and made it a major defensive outpost with an imposing four-storey tower, bastions, and a well within its walls. The fort changed hands briefly between the Bijapur Sultanate and the Portuguese during the early 16th century.

Over time, it played an important role in defending Portuguese Goa and housed significant artillery, including a renowned cannon known as the “Mourisca.” The site was eventually abandoned and left in ruins but remains a testament to Goa’s layered history, blending local and colonial influences and bearing witness to centuries of political and military struggles in the region.