Sira Castle is located on Sira Island, which is a long, rocky volcanic island, located precisely near the port of Aden in the Republic of Yemen.
Sira Castle is a military site. It was built in the eleventh century AD and is currently used by the Yemeni army. There were few archaeological studies conducted in the area. One theory affirmed that the castle was built in the year 1173 by the Turkish ruler of Aden, Prince Othman Al-Zangabili AlTikriti. The fortress was established during subsequent attacks against Aden by the Portuguese and the Turks, especially in 1517. Although the old port began to develop to become the main trading center, it was eventually moved to the other side of the Aden Peninsula. The British continued to develop the fortress after their arrival in 1839.
The purpose of establishing the castle, in addition to its strategic location that controls the old port of Aden, was purely military in order to defend the city. This is indicated by the number of its defenders and their spread in its many rooms and the presence of the many workshops which most of them overlook the sea.
