Forts and fortifications in Sri Lanka date back thousands of years with many being built by Sri Lankan Kings, these include several walled cities. With the outset of colonial rule in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka was occupied by several major colonial empires that from time to time became the dominant power in the Indian Ocean. The colonists built several western-styled forts, mostly in and around the coast of the island. The first to build colonial forts in Sri Lanka were the Portuguese, these forts were captured and later expanded by the Dutch. The British occupied these Dutch forts during the Napoleonic wars.
Most of colonial forts of Sri Lanka were garrisoned up until the early twentieth century. The coastal forts had coastal artillery manned by the Ceylon Garrison Artillery during the two world wars. Most of these were abandoned by the military, but retained civil administrative officers, while others retained military garrisons, which were more administrative than operational. Some were reoccupied by military units with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War, Jaffna fort for example came under siege several times.
![Forts of Sri Lanka](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/fort_map_2.jpg?resize=580%2C820)
Full list of Forts of Sri Lanka
Arandora Portuguese Fort
Arandora Fort is a Portuguese Fort used as a base camp of the main fort at Manikkadawara which lied on the road to Kandy. Realizing the strategic location of this fort the Dutch captured and occupied this fort in 1666 made in to a fortification against the wishes of Rajasinghe II, King of Kandy.
Arippu Fort in Mannar (මන්නාරමේ අරිප්පු බලකොටුව)
Arippu Fort is a small two bastion fort built by the Portuguese just before the causeway at Arippu. This fort was handed over to the Dutch in 1658 after the fall of Mannar. This fort again changed hands to the British.
Balana Fort (බලන බලකොටුව)
After the Portuguese landed in Sri Lanka in 1505, their aim was to acquire more territory. But, the Balana rock fortress that served as an observation post stood against an invasion of the Kandyan kingdom.
Batticaloa Fort (මඩකලපුව බලකොටුව)
The Fort in Batticaloa lies on a one of the many small islands of Batticaloa in the east coast of Sri Lanka. It was built by the Portuguese in 1628 after a Dutch fleet landed in Batticaloa in 1603 with a fleet of six ships to take part in a joint effort to oust the…
Chilaw Fort of the Portuguese (හලාවත පෘතුගීසි බළකොටුව)
Chilaw, anciently called “Pitigal Korale” was under the possession of the Kandyan king until 1756 when it was captured by the Dutch However the Portuguese had built a small fort in Chilaw in the 16th century
Delft Island Fort – Jaffna (ඩෙල්ෆ් බලකොටුව)
Delft Island – This island was called by the Portuguese ilha das Vacas, had a fort built by them. The Dutch called it Delft Island. The tamils call it the Neduntheevu or Neduntivu.
Dutch fort at Mullaitivu (මුලතිවු බලකොටුව)
The fort at Mullaitivu was built by the Dutch in 1715 was originally a small wooden structure, in 1721 a quadrangular fort of earth-work has been erected. The English had rebuilt it during the British occupation of the island.
Dutch Fort of Elephant Pass
The Dutch were the first to erect a fort at Elephant Pass. It was more like a stockade or a watch post. Though well fortified and built with strong defenses the extent of the fortifications were much smaller to that of Galle or Jaffna forts.
Dutch Fort of Galle (ගාල්ල කොටුව)
The Dutch Galle Fort is a rare historical jewel protected by dark, thick stone walls – with the endless ocean on one side.
Dutch Fort of Kalpitiya (කල්පිටිය බලකොටුව)
At the extreme tip of the Kalpitiya is the Kalpitiya Fort, built in 1667, on the spot where the Portuguese had a stockade and a Jesuit chapel. The fort is is now a Sri Lankan Navy base.
Dutch Fort of Tangalle (තංගල්ල බලකොටුව)
The Fort at Tangalle was built by the Dutch overlooking the sea on a slope above the bay. The fort is now converted to a prison and lost most of it original shape.
Etampitiya Kotugodella Fort (හාලිඇල ඇටැම්පිටිය කොටුගොඩැල්ල බලකොටුව)
Hali Ella Atampitiya Fort at Kotugodella lies on a hill close to Atampitiya town and is believed to be a Portuguese fort. Atampitiya has been a one of the places Sinhalese fought the invading Portuguese forces and still there is a place called Parangi Ella where it is said that all the dead Portuguese were…
Fort Fredrick at Trincomalee (ත්රිකුණාමලය බලකොටුව)
Fort Fredrick is a fort built by Portuguese at Trincomalee, Sri Lanka in 1624. It is said to built from the debris of an ancient Hindu temple that was destroyed by the Portuguese.
Fort Macdowall at Matale (මැක්ඩොවල් බලකොටුව)
Fort Macdowall was built by the British in the town of Matale in 1803 as an out post during the Kandian Wars. The fort was named after General Macdowall, who led the expedition to the Kingdom of Kandy, it is one of the few forts build inland.
Fort of Ruwanwella (රුවන්වැල්ල බලකොටුව)
With regard to the Ruwanwella Fort, it is said that the Portuguese, in the 1590s, had a fortified base camp here and the Dutch, in 1665, built a wooden fort here but abandoned it a few years later.
Fort Ostenburg at Trincomalee (ඔස්ටන්බර්ග් බලකොටුව)
Fort Ostenburg is believed to be the fort buit by King Rajasinghe II who ruled this country for 52 years (1635-1687) to attack the Portuguese at Fort Fedrick.
Fort Pyl & Fort Beschutter which Defended Jaffna
Three miles north east from Elephant Pass in the general area of Iyakachchi was situated the second fortification called Pas (Fort) Beschutter built by the Dutch near the village of Koyilvayal. Further to the north east from this point was the third Dutch fortification named Pas (Fort) Pyl.
Hakmana Dutch Fort (හක්මණ ලන්දේසි බළකොටුව)
Hakmana Fort was in fact a stockade built by the Dutch around 1645 and was destroyed by the Kandyan Forces in 1761. No remains of this fort is found today.
Haldummulla Portuguese Fort (හල්දුම්මුල්ල පැරණි බලකොටුව)
Haldummulla lies about 175 km off the capital of Colombo at a elevation of about 1200 metres. The Portuguese fort of Haldummulla existed in the early 17th century between Haldummulla and Idalgashinna.
Hammenhiel Fort in Jaffna (හැමන්හිල් බලකොටුව)
The Hammenhiel Fort was built by the Portuguese in mid 17th century of quarried coral and was named Fortaleza Real (Fort Royal). The Dutch renamed it as Hammenhiel (Heel of the Ham) and was rebuilt by them in 1680.