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Forts in Sri Lanka date back thousands of years, with many being built by Sri Lankan kings. These include several walled cities. These include several walled cities. With the outset of colonial rule in the Indian Ocean , Sri Lanka was occupied by several major colonial empires that from time to time became the dominant power in the Indian Ocean.
Galle Fort is in Galle, which is located at the extreme southwest corner of the island, in the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, where the shoreline turns east towards Matara and Tangalle. The fort, like most of the forts in Sri Lanka, is built on a small rocky peninsula, belonging to the sea as much as to the land.
The Star Fort (Sinhala: මාතර තාරකා කොටුව Mathara Tharaka Kotuwa; Tamil: விண்மீன் கோட்டை, romanized: Viṇmīṉ Kōṭṭai) is a fort in Matara, Sri Lanka, located on the eastern bank of the Nilwala River, approximately 350 metres (1,150 ft) from the gate to the Matara fort.
1735 Map of Fort Matara. The Portuguese constructed the first fortifications in 1595, [1] with the assistance of Don Juan Dharmapala, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kotte. [2] In 1640 the Dutch captured Matara from the Portuguese, [3] and in 1645 they were responsible for the construction of the current fortifications. [2]
The fort has a structure of four bastions and is protected by the Batticaloa Lagoon on two sides and a canal on the other two sides. The fort is still in reasonable condition and currently houses several local administrative departments of the Sri Lanka government in new buildings, which are located within the old structure. [3]
1665 Map of Negombo fort. In its time the fort at Negombo was probably the next in strategic importance after Colombo, Jaffna and Galle. [1] The original Portuguese fort was a weak structure, which, according to the account of João Ribeyro; "Negombo was only a square enclosed by walls, with two redoubts and five guns.
[1] [2] The fort fell to the Dutch in 1658, and they rebuilt the fort in 1696. In 1795 the British occupied the fort following the surrender by the Dutch. [3] [4] It is a square-shaped fort with four bastions and is located next to the new bridge that connects the mainland with the Mannar Island. [5]
Today it remains garrisoned by a detachment of the Sri Lanka Army with limited access to visitors and is being renovated with Dutch funding. [2] Buildings inside the fort include the governor's residence (King's House), Queen's House, Kruys Church, the Garrison Parade Ground, Police quarters and several buildings from the Portuguese era. [3]