Friday 28 March 2008

Macau Moorish Barracks 港務局大樓 (港务局大楼)

Located close to the Inner Harbour, the Macau Moorish Barracks became offices for Marine and Customs Police and now houses the Macao Maritime Administration. The building was built with brick and stone neo-classical structure with some Moorish influences. The rest of the building has only one floor, except to the rear the construction has two floors. The building was painted light yellow, with most of the details picked out in white.

An Indian regiment was brought to Macao from Goa in order to reinforce the local police force in a move to keep peace and order. An Italian architect named Cassuto designed this Moorish-style building to accommodate the Indian policemen. Construction was completed in August 1874. There were two hundred Indian soldiers stationed in the Macau Moorish Barracks according to historical records.

港務局大樓原稱摩爾兵營(Quartel dos Mouros)俗稱水師廠。 由一位意大利人卡蘇杜(Cassuto)設計, 1874年建成。 摩爾兵營是當時由印度來澳的警察的營地, 兵營可駐二百多名官兵。 1905年大樓改為港務局和水警稽查隊的辦公地點, 故被俗稱為水師廠。 由於港務局大樓位處於媽閣內港入口附近的山坡地, 其樓頂設置的台風信號站讓漁民、船隻與居民得知風球信號。

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