Fort Sylvia

Fort Sylvia is a historic white wooden fort located on the bank of the Rajang River in Kapit town, Kapit District, Sarawak, Malaysia. Built in 1880 during the Brooke administration and originally called Fort Kapit, it was renamed in 1925 after Ranee Sylvia Brooke. Now managed as a museum by the Sarawak Museum Department, it displays local history, Iban culture and Brooke-era artefacts and remains a prominent landmark in Kapit.

Visitors can expect a well-preserved white timber fort overlooking the Rajang River in central Kapit town. Inside, the fort houses museum galleries with historical photographs, documents, Iban cultural artefacts, and exhibits on the Brooke era and local community history. The structure retains its original fort layout, balcony and wooden architecture, with river views and interpretive displays across two floors.

Built in 1880 by Rajah Charles Brooke as Fort Kapit to secure the Rajang basin, control river traffic and maintain peace among local communities. It served as an administrative centre for the Brooke government in the upper Rajang. Renamed Fort Sylvia in 1925 after Ranee Sylvia Brooke, wife of Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke. Later restored and converted into a museum preserving Kapit's history.

The fort is a landmark of Kapit town and a symbol of the Brooke era in central Sarawak. As a museum it preserves and presents Iban heritage, local history and the multicultural community of the Rajang River basin for visitors.