Galle Fort

Galle Fort
Dutch Fort
Part of Galle
Galle, Sri Lanka
Aerial view of Galle Fort
Galle Fort Dutch Fort is located in Sri Lanka
Galle Fort Dutch Fort
Galle Fort
Dutch Fort
Coordinates6°01′33″N 80°13′03″E / 6.025833°N 80.2175°E / 6.025833; 80.2175
TypeDefence fort
Site information
Controlled byGovernment of Sri Lanka
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionGood
Site history
Built1584; 440 years ago (1584) and 1684; 340 years ago (1684)
Built byPortuguese and Dutch
MaterialsGranite Stones and coral
Battles/warsSiege of Galle (1640)
Several other battles
Official nameOld Town of Galle and its Fortifications
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv
Designated1988 (10th session)
Reference no.451
RegionAsia-Pacific

Galle Fort (Sinhala: ගාලු කොටුව Galu Kotuwa; Tamil: காலிக் கோட்டை, romanized: Kālik Kōṭṭai), 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 432 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by the 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 since been restored.[2]

  1. ^ C. Brooke Elliott (1 December 1996). Real Ceylon. Asian Educational Services. pp. 30–33. ISBN 978-81-206-1135-1. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Galle and Galle Fort". Discover Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications". Unesco.org. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Advisory Body Evaluation" (pdf). Unesco.org. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. ^ Brett Atkinson (1 August 2009). Lonely Planet Sri Lanka. Lonely Planet. pp. 131–. ISBN 978-1-74104-835-3. Retrieved 5 May 2011.