The Fort in Galle stands overlooking the Harbour/Port in Galle which is situated on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka was an integral trade route stopover for Chinese Arab and Mediterranean traders and is mentioned in many ancient texts and by famous travelers from times past such as Ibn Battuta.
The Galle Fort is a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a living monument, inhabited by a bustling community, within the great ramparts, massive bastions and pepper pot towers.In the mid 1600’s this place was fortified by the Dutch and even after 400 years from then, the place holds the remains of the Dutch architecture and culture.
This is the harbor where the Portuguese, under the leadership of Lourenço de Almeida, made their first landing in 1505 on the island and caused a notable change in developments on the island with their close friendship with Dharmaparakrama Bahu (1484–1514), the then king of the country. On hearing a cock crowing (cock means ”Galo” in Portuguese), it is said that they gave the town its name.
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.
The Dutch proceeded to build a well-planned city in a grid layout within the fort, replete with public administration buildings, trade establishments, warehouses, armouries, barracks, a forge, carpentry, church and Dutch style houses which were occupied by approximately 500 families.
Even though the Galle fort was occupied by the English in the 1800s, it was the Dutch, who made the strongest impact on Galle town, Galle Fort, harbor, and people of the area. The town and Fort still retain the Old Dutch characteristics, Dutch architecture, names, the streets are almost not changed since they were first constructed. Leyn Baan Street (Lijnbaan meaning rope walk in Dutch), Lighthouse street (Zeeburg Street), and Great and Small Modarabaay Streets (Modderbaai) are some of the popular names of the Streets of the fort.
Some of the notable heritage buildings are the Dutch Reformed Church built in 1640 and its iconic belfry, The Dutch Hospital Galle which has been transformed into a shopping and dining precinct.
Being the cultural capital of the southern coast, this paradise island makes a great place to explore the Dutch culture, fancy boutiques, restaurants, pubs and enchanting views across the beach.
As the modifications carried out by the British were so few, the Galle Dutch Fort is considered to be one of the best examples of a fortified city built by Europeans in south and southeast Asia, and is indeed an important vestige of the country’s troubled, yet colorful colonial past.
