Kalpitiya fort

Kalpitiya Fort
Part of Puttalam
Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka
Kalpitiya fort (West side)
Kalpitiya Fort is located in Sri Lanka
Kalpitiya Fort
Kalpitiya Fort
Coordinates8°14′8″N 79°45′58″E / 8.23556°N 79.76611°E / 8.23556; 79.76611
TypeDefence fort
Height4 m (13 ft)
Site information
Controlled byGovernment of Sri Lanka
Open to
the public
yes
Conditiongood
Site history
Built1667-1676
Built byDutch
Materialslimestone and coral

Kalpitiya Fort (Sinhala: කල්පිටිය බලකොටුව Kalpitiya Balakotuwa; Tamil: கற்பிட்டிக் கோட்டை, romanized: Kaṟpiṭṭik Kōṭṭai) was built by the Dutch between 1667 and 1676. Kalpitiya was important as it commands the entrance to the adjacent bay, Puttalam Lagoon. The surrounding Puttalam area was one of the major cinnamon cultivation areas in Sri Lanka. The Dutch even constructed a canal from Puttalam via Negombo to Colombo to transport cinnamon from the area.