Fort Lily

Fort Lily is a historical fort in Betong, Sarawak, Malaysia. It was built in 1858 by James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, as a defence centre and to safeguard government activities in the area.

Fort Lily
General information
Location	Jalan Datuk Patinggi Udin, Betong, Sarawak, Malaysia
Completed	1858
Owner	Government of Sarawak
Technical details
Material	Belian timber

History

The fort, the oldest in Sarawak, is located in the town of Betong in the Betong Division, Sarawak, and was built in 1858 by James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak, as a government administrative centre and to provide protection from attacks by Iban warriors led by Rentap. The origin of its name is unknown. Later, it was used as a police station and as government offices, before it became vacant.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Description

The fort is made entirely of wood using belian timber. The original nipah leaf roof has been replaced with a roof of belian shingles.^[1][2][3][5]

In 2019, it was reported that the building would be converted into a museum by the Sarawak Museum Department to display cultural artefacts of the Iban people.^[1][2][3][4]