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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.
This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka. In Professor Senarath Paranavithana 's book The Story of Sigiri , King Dathusena is said to have taken the advice of the Persian Nestorian Priest Maga Brahmana on building his palace on Sigirya.
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The seaside structure of the fort was just a wall with no bastions or cannons. [4] Further details of the fort have been identified from Dutch era maps. According to the maps, one side wall was 80 m (260 ft) long and the other two walls were 42 m (138 ft) in length.
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]
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]
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]