Galle Fort

Celebrate the Great American Wiknic in 15+ cities around July 6!

Galle Fort
Dutch Fort
Part of Galle
Galle, Sri Lanka
Galle Fort
Coordinates 6.025833N 80.2175E
Type Defence fort
Site information
Controlled by Government of Sri Lanka
Open to
the public
Yes
Condition Good
Site history
Built 1584 and 1684
Built by Portuguese and Dutch
Materials Granite Stones and coral
Battles/wars Siege of Galle (1640)
Several other battles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was
built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the
Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical,
archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after
more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive
reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.
[1]
The fort has a colourful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-
religious population.
[2][3][4]
The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch
people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at
making this one of the modern wonders of the world.
[4][5]
The heritage
value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has
been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under
criteria iv, for its unique exposition of "an urban ensemble which illustrates
the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from
the 16th to the 19th centuries."
[3]
The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the "Ramparts of Galle",
withstood the Boxing Day tsunami which damaged part of coastal area
Galle town. It has been since restored.
[2]
The Galle Fort also houses the
elite Amangalla resort hotel, located near the Dutch Reformed Church. It
was originally built in 1684 to house the Dutch Governor and his staff. It
was then converted into a hotel and named then as the New Oriental
Hotel in 1865, which catered to the European passengers traveling
between Europe and Galle Port in the 19th century.
[5]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Geography
4 Demographics
5 Fort layout
5.1 Other landmarks
6 Renovations
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Etymology [edit]
There are many versions of the word Galle that is suffixed to the fort.
One version is that it is a derivative of Gallus from the Dutch language,
meaning chicken. The other version is that it was a "galaa", in Sinhalese
language meaning a cattle herd or place where cattle was herded.
[2]
History [edit]
Galles earliest historical
Galle Fort
Dutch Fort
Article Talk Read Edit More
Search
Edit links
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Data item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Nederlands

Portugus

Zeuws
Create account Log in
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Old Town of Galle and its
Fortifications
Type: Cultural
Criteria: iv
Designated: 1988 (10th session)
Reference No. 451
State Party: Sri Lanka
Region: Asia-Pacific
Map of the ramparts
Sea side wall of the Galle Fort
View of the Galle Fort in Sri Lanka in
1754
Galles earliest historical
existence is traced to Ptolemys
world map of 125150 AD when it
was a busy port, trading with
Greece, Arab countries, China
and others. Its mention as a "port
of call of the Levant' is made in
the cosmography of the "Cosmas
Indicopleustes". This is the
harbour where the Portuguese,
under the leadership of Lorenzo
de Almeida, made their first landing in 1505 on the island and caused a notable
change in the history of the island with their close friendship with Dharmaparakrama
Bahu (14841514), the then king of the country. Before the Portuguese came here, Ibn Batuta had touched base at this port.
This was the beginning of the forts history, which was built by the Portuguese, along with a Franciscan chapel (now mostly in
ruins) inside the fort in 1541. The fort also, in later years, served as prison camp to incarcerate Sinhalese natives who
opposed the Portuguese.
[2][4]
The Portuguese had moved to Colombo from Galle as they preferred that place. In 1588,
however, they were attacked by the Sinhalese King Raja Singha I (158193) of Sitawaka, which forced the Portuguese to go
back to Galle. At Galle, they initially built a small fort out of palm trees and mud. They called it the Santa Cruz, and later
extended it with a watch tower and three bastions and a "fortalice" to guard the harbour.
[3][6]
In 1640, the events took a turn with the Dutch entering the fray joining hands with King
Rajasinhe II to capture the Galle Fort. The Dutch, with a force of some 2,500 men
under Koster, captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1640 itself. Although not an
ideal situation for the Sinhalese, they were instrumental in building the fort as seen in
its present form in the Dutch architectural style. Fortifications continued to be built
until the early 18th century. The establishment built consisted of public administration
buildings, warehouses and business houses and residential quarters. A Protestant
church (planned by Abraham Anthonisz) was also built in baroque style in 1775 to
cater to the colonists and the local people who were converted to Christianity. The
most prominent buildings in the fort complex were the Commandant's residence, the
arsenal and the gun house. Other buildings erected in the fort catered to trade and
defense requirements such as workshops for forgings, carpentry, smithy, rope making and so forth. They also built an
elaborate system of sewers that were flooded at high tide, taking the sewage away to sea.
[2][3]
The British took over the fort on 23 February 1796, one week after Colombo was captured. Sri Lanka remained a British
colony formally from 1815 till it became an independent island nation in 1948.
[3][7]
In 1865, part of the fort was converted into
the New Oriental Hotel, becoming the Amangalla in 2005. The importance of Galle also declined after the British developed
Colombo as their capital and main port in the mid nineteenth century.
[6]
Geography [edit]
Main article: Galle
Galle Fort is in Galle, which is located at the extreme southwest corner of the island, in
the southeast 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. As it exists today, it covers an
area of 52 hectares (130 acres).
[3]
Highway A2 provides road links to Galle from Colombo (a distance of 113 kilometres
(70 mi)) and the rest of the country along the west coast or from the east along the
south coast. Since 2012 an expressway has linked Galle to Colombo. Rail links are also available to Colombo and Matara.
Sea route is through the Galle Port at the Galle Harbour.
[8]
Demographics [edit]
The Galle city (population 112,252, over an area of 16.5 square kilometres (6.4 sq mi)
[7]
) has developed around the Galle
Fort area which covers around 52 hectares (130 acres). The story of the fort is well illustrated by many signages and
plaques, which provide information about each monument.
[3][5][9]
There are many Moor families who live inside this fort (they
dominate the trade) along with Sinhalese, Dutch, English, Portuguese and Germans. More details regarding the history of the
fort can be found at the visitors center and at the Dutch period museum inside the Fort.
[2][5]
Fort layout [edit]
The fort, originally built by the Portuguese in the 16th century to defend Galle, was an
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Aerial view of Galle fort
The Main Gate to the Galle Fort
December 2011
Left: View across grass-clad walls to the sea. Right: Acanon
mounted on one of the ramparts of the Galle Fort.
earthen structure with pallisades covering the northern land side with rampart and
three bastions. They believed that the sea ward side was impregnable and hence did
not construct any fortifications on the sea side. The sea wall was an addition made in
1729 to make the city planning for defense purposes complete in all respects.
[4]
When the fort came under the control of the Dutch, they considered the old
fortifications built by the Portuguese unsafe as they were made of earth and
palisades. Hence, the Dutch decided to fully encircle the entire peninsula by building
impregnable fortifications as defense against other colonial agencies in the region.
They built some 14 bastions with coral and granite stones over an area of (52 hectares (130 acres). Many of the fortification
walls were built in 1663. The city built within the fort was well planned with a grid layout with the peripheral roads aligned
parallel to fort's ramparts.
[4]
The fort has two gates. The two towering gates to the fort are termed Portcullised
gates and the first gate of entry from the port is inscribed "ANNO MDCL XIX" which
has depiction of Dutch Coat of Arms with the ubiquitous emblem of cock and an inset
"VOC" inscribed in the centre.
[1]
The Main Gate is in the northern stretch of the fort on the land side and is heavily
fortified. The Portuguese had built a moat here which was widened during the Dutch
rule by breaking the fort wall in 1667 and building the Star, Moon and Sun bastions. Its
construction is also dated to the British period from 1897 to facilitate easy flow of
traffic to the old town.
[5]
This gate was fortified with a draw bridge surrounded by a
moat; inscriptions here indicate 1669 as the year of construction. Some of the other
named bastions are: The Aurora Bastion, the Tremon Bastion, the Kleipenberg Bastion and the Emaloon Bastion, adding an
element of grandeur to the fort as a whole.
[2][4]
Walking along the fort wall in a clockwise direction leads to the Old Gate where the British Coat of Arms is seen inscribed at
the entrance at the top. In the inner part of the gate there is the 1668 dated inscription of letters VOC, which is an
abbreviation of Verenigde Oostindindische Compagnie, meaning Dutch East India Company with the insignia of a cock flanked
by two lions. Further along the fort wall is the Portuguese built oldest bastion, known as Zwart Bastion, meaning Black Bastion.
The eastern section of the fort terminates in the Point Utrecht Bastion; the powder house is also seen here. An 18 metres
(59 ft) high light house was erected here in 1938. The succeeding stretch of the fort wall is the location of Flag Rock Bastion,
which was used as a signaling station to warn the ships entering the port of the hazardous rocky stretches of the bay. Ships
were warned by firing musket shots from the Pigeon Island near the Flag Rock. Further along the fort walls is the Trion
Bastion where a windmill drew water from the sea to sprinkle the dusty roads of the town; it is also a view point to watch the
sunset. Many more bastions are seen along the fortifications from this location up to the Main Gate.
[5]
The Fort really resembles a small laid out walled town, with a
rectangular grid pattern of streets full of the low houses with
gables and verandas in the Dutch colonial style. It has a well laid
out road network and many buildings which are now heritage
monuments such as the Oriental Hotel, originally built in 1694
for the exclusive use of the Dutch Governor and his staff, now
converted into a franchise of the Aman Resorts, named the
Amangalla.
[2][4]
The fort area is studded with churches,
mosques, many old commercial and government buildings.
Some of the locals stroll along the walls of the fort in the evenings.
[5]
After the fort came under the control of the British in 1796, it remained their southern headquarters. They made many
modifications to the fort such as closing of the moat, building of houses, a lighthouse on the Utrecht Bastion, a gate between
the Moon Bastion and the Sun Bastion. A tower was particularly erected in 1883 to commemorate the jubilee of Queen
Victoria. The Second World War saw many more fortifications built to defend the fort. In spite of all the changes made over the
years, since it was first built between the 16th and the 19th century, the Galle Fort still remains a unique monument complex
said to be "the best example of a fortified city with a fusion of European architecture and South Asian traditions built by
Europeans in South and Southeast Asia".
[2][4]
In the fort area, many buildings are of Dutch vintage with street names also in Dutch. The sewerage system built in the fort
area ensured that the city sewerage was flushed into the sea during the tidal cycle. The Dutch exploited the musk rats in the
sewers by exporting them to extract musk oil.
[2][5]
Other landmarks [edit]
Some of the important heritage monuments in the fort are the Dutch Reformed
Church; the old Dutch government house; the National Maritime Museum near the Old
Gate, residence of the Commander; Great Warehouse built around 1669 to store
spices, ship equipment and so forth; the Meera Mosque built in 1904; Buddhist temple
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Mosque in the fort area
Astreet in Galle Fort area
The refurbished church in Galle Fort
built at the site of Portuguese Roman Catholic church; the All Saints Anglican Church
built in 1871; and the Clock Tower dated 1707 and cast in 1709, which rang every
hour.
[9]
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church is near the Amangalla Hotel. The church was built in
1640. However, it was remodelled between 1752 and 1755. The church is paved with
grave stones from the old Dutch cemetery. There is an old organ of 1760 vintage in
the church where services are held and a pulpit made of calamander wood from
Malaysia is used.
[5]
Street names
Some the street names, a legacy from the colonial period, are the Pedlar Street or
Moorse Kramerstraat, the Moorish pedlar (or peddler) street, named after the Muslim
moors who were retailers along with chettis; the Lighthouse Street Zeeburgstraat
Middelpuntstraat named after the lighthouse which was destroyed in a fire in 1936;
the Hospital Street, the location of the Dutch Hospital, the house of the Surgeon and
the Medical Garden; Leyenbahnstraat, the Old Rope-Walk Street where coir rope was
made; the Church Street, named after a church which was demolished in the 7th
century; the Parawa Street, named after the Parawa migrants from South India who
were fishermen and traders; and the Chando Street named after the toddy tappers
and Dutch Burghers who owned coconut gardens and small ark distilleries.
[9]
Breadfruit Tree
The breadfruit tree was introduced in Galle first by the Dutch; one of the oldest breadfruit trees in Sri Lanka is stated to be in
Galle Fort. It is believed that the Dutch introduced breadfruit which is of heaty nature hoping that would either kill them or
make them sick.
[citation needed]
However, the Sri Lankans found a neutralizer to this in the coconut tree. They mixed breadfruit
with coconut and evolved a delicacy, which became popular, as it was found tasty and nourishing. This tree is now grown
across Sri Lanka.
[2]
The fort area is occupied by mostly artists, writers, photographers, designers and poets of foreign origin and is now a mixed
bag of boutiques, hotels and restaurants.
[5]
Renovations [edit]
Following the disaster caused by the Tsunami of 2004 when many buildings were
damaged, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs launched a project for renovation and
reconstruction, but paying attention to the former architecture to retain a historical
feel.
[2]
The Galle Fort has both Portuguese and Dutch era buildings, reflecting the bygone
era of the colonial domination of the city. These buildings needed attention as many
changes had taken place over the centuries. The Government of Sri Lanka, through
its Galle Heritage Foundation under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National
Heritage has taken the initiative of restoring some of the heritage buildings to their old
glory. The restoration work has been financially supported by the Government of the
Netherlands. The renovation work conforms to guidelines set by the Archeological Department of Sri Lanka. Technical
guidance was provided by the Architectural Wing of the University of Moratuwa.
[10]
Very many of the old town houses have
been bought up by expatriates and rich Sri Lankans and Indians and renovated as holiday homes.
The National Maritime Museum in Galle Fort area, near the Old gate, was established in 1997 as an exclusive Maritime
Archaeology Centre with active involvement of the Government of the Netherlands in the project in view of the findings that
the Galle Harbour consisted of over 21 historical shipwreck sites and associated artifacts.
[11]
See also [edit]
Siege of Galle (1640)
World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
References [edit]
1. ^
a

b
C. Brooke Elliott (1 December 1996). Real Ceylon . Asian Educational Services. pp. 3033. ISBN 978-81-206-1135-1.
Retrieved 5 May 2011.
2. ^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l
"Galle and Galle Fort" . Discover Sri Lanka. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
3. ^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g
"Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications" . Unesco.org. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
4. ^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h
"Advisory Body Evaluation" (pdf). Unesco.org. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Developers Mobile view
This page was last modified on 25 June 2014 at 04:28.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy
Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Galle Fort.
5. ^
a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j
Brett Atkinson (1 August 2009). Lonely Planet Sri Lanka . Lonely Planet. pp. 131. ISBN 978-1-74104-835-3.
Retrieved 5 May 2011.
6. ^
a

b
Royston Ellis (20 January 2009). Sri Lanka . Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 240242. ISBN 978-1-84162-269-9. Retrieved 6 May
2011.
7. ^
a

b
"Galle Municipal CouncilGalle" . Municipal Corporation of Galle. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
8. ^ Ellis2009,p.247
9. ^
a

b

c
"A Historic tour through the city of Galle" . Lanka Library. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
10. ^ "Inside politics" . A facelift for a fort. The Sunday Leader. 11 November 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
11. ^ "Galle A Port City in Histor" . Lanka Library. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
External links [edit]
kohomban.net
gallefortguide.com
Categories: Forts in Sri Lanka Portuguese forts Buildings and structures in Galle Galle
converted by Web2PDFConvert.com