Fort Jesus: Arab Edition 

Approximately 100 years of Portuguese rule elapsed before the Portuguese would lose control of Fort Jesus. Holding the fort was no easy feat; between 1631 and 1895, the fort would be captured and recaptured 9 times. The first significant loss by the Portuguese would come at the hands of the Omani Sultanate in 1698. Tensions had been growing between Portugal and Oman over control of trade routes along the Swahili Coast. While the Portuguese had the more formidable naval fleet, the Omanis still wreaked havoc through consistent raiding. The Omanis would sack Zanzibar and Mombasa and would continue to increase pressure on the Europeans until the conflict came to a head at Fort Jesus.  Saif bin Sultan would wage a 33-month-long siege on Fort Jesus, wearing the Portuguese down bit by bit. The fierce Arabian fighters were not alone, though. Through strategic alliances with the coastal locals, the Arabian fighters and coastal tribes would besiege Fort Jesus. Months would turn into years as the medium-sized garrison of Portuguese soldiers defended against the Arabs. The few cannons that faced toward the interior of the island probably got their fair share of use during this time. But entrenched as they were, the Portuguese could not withstand the forces at their walls. The stalemate would end with only 11 Portuguese members remaining to defend the final breach.