Batticaloa fort
1628 fort in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
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The Batticaloa Fort (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்புக் கோட்டை, romanized: Maṭṭakkaḷappuk Kōṭṭai; Sinhala: මඩකලපුව බලකොටුව, romanized: Madakalapuwa Balakotuwa) was built by the Portuguese in 1628 and was captured by the Dutch on 18 May 1638.[2] From 1795, the fort was used by the British.
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| Batticaloa Fort Portuguese/Dutch Fort | |
|---|---|
| Part of Batticaloa | |
| Batticaloa, Sri Lanka | |
Batticaloa Fort | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Defence fort |
| Controlled by | Government of Sri Lanka |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Good |
| Location | |
  Batticaloa Fort Portuguese/Dutch Fort Location in central Batticaloa | |
| Coordinates | 7.711901°N 81.702377°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1628[1] |
| Built by | Portuguese and Dutch |
| Materials | Granite Stones and coral |
| Battles/wars | Several battles |
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]
Timeline
Timeline of Batticaloa fort in colonial time.[4]
- 1622 – Construction begun by Portuguese
- 1628 – Construction completed
- 1638 – Dutch captured
- 1639 – Fort destroyed by Dutch
- 1665 – Reconstruction started
- 1682 – Renovation
- 1707 – Front bastion and complex completed
- 1766 – Ceded to Kandyan kingdom
- 1796 – Captured by British
See also
Picture gallery
- Batticaloa fort
Antique print of the Batticaloa Fort by Baldaeus, 1672
A view from the main entrance (south-east)
Cannon at the top, looking towards Kallady bridge/Indian Ocean. Watchtower in one of the bastions
