Galle Lighthouse (ගාල්ල ප්‍රදීපාගාරය)

56 years ago2 months ago03 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(4 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

The lighthouse inside the Galle Fort in Sri Lanka

The Galle Lighthouse stands as one of the most iconic landmarks within Galle Fort and is an essential point of interest for visitors exploring its ramparts. Situated at the southern extremity of the fort on the Utrecht Bastion, it is recognized as the oldest light station in Sri Lanka. While visitors are able to approach the base of the tower and explore the surrounding gardens, access to the interior is currently restricted, as it is managed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

The Present Lighthouse

The existing lighthouse was constructed by the British following the destruction of the earlier structure. It stands at a height of 26 meters (approximately 85.3 feet) and is located about 200 meters (approximately 656 feet) from the site of the original lighthouse, also on the Utrecht Bastion.

The Original Lighthouse

The first lighthouse at Galle was an cast-iron structure built by the British in 1848 by Robinsons of Pimlico on a rocky outcrop approximately 200 meters (650 feet) to the west, at the Flagrock Bastion of the Dutch fort.

The first Galle Lighthouse Issued 1856, Washington by U.S. Gov. for the official U.S. Government Naval Expedition during 1852-4 — The first Galle Lighthouse
Issued 1856, Washington by U.S. Gov. for the official U.S. Government Naval Expedition during 1852-4

The original lighthouse was constructed entirely of cast iron and finished in white paint. It was ventilated by eight small windows, each measuring approximately 0.38 meters by 0.33 meters (1 foot 3 inches by 1 foot 1 inch). The structure rose to a height of 24 meters (78.7 feet) up to the top of the lantern. It had a base diameter of 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) and a gallery width of 3.6 meters (11.8 feet). The total weight of the lighthouse was approximately 50 tonnes, and its construction cost amounted to £3,000.

The lower 6 meters (19.7 feet) of the tower were filled with stone, within which a staircase was constructed. This continued upward as a spiral staircase fixed to the inner wall. The iron plates forming the structure varied in thickness from 19 to 32 millimeters (0.75 to 1.26 inches) and were fastened using wrought iron bolts and nuts, with joints sealed using iron cement. The upper two levels were lined with sheet iron to create an insulating layer (Lewis, 2012).

The location of the original lighthouse today — The Flagrock Bastion is where the original lighthouse stood.

Destruction and Reconstruction

After 86 years of service, the original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1934. Subsequently, the British constructed a new lighthouse at its present location on the Utrecht Bastion, approximately 200 meters (656 feet) away from the original site.

The Lighthouse Light Mechanism

The light emitted from the original lighthouse was characterized by a double-flashing white beam every 30 seconds. Each flash lasted 2 seconds, with a 3-second interval separating the two flashes.

References

Bethune, C. R. D. (1850). Lighthouses : Return to an Address of the Honourable House of Commons, dated 15 April 1850. Accounts and Papers: Twenty Five Volumes Post Office; Railways; Shipping; Docks And Harbours; Lighthouses Session, 53, 656.
Lewis, M. (2012). Iron Lighthouses. Construction History : International Journal of the Construction History Society, 27, 23–64.
The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1870 (59th ed., Vol. 1). (1890).

Also See

Map of Galle Lighthouse

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Travel Directions to Galle Lighthouse

Route from Colombo to Galle Lighthouse

Through : Southen Expressway
Distance : 126 km
Travel time : 2- 2.5 hours
Driving directions : see on Google Maps.

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Muruthtthanai Cave with Indigenous Art (මුරුත්තානෛ ආදිවාසී චිත්‍ර සහිත ලෙණ)
Deep in the Kiran jungle, this cave features a Brahmi inscription documenting its donation to the Maha Sangha. It also houses well-preserved animal rock art from a later period, believed to have been created by the region’s indigenous Vedda community. […]
Muruthtthanai Buddhist Stupa Ruins in Kiran (මුරුත්තානෛ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Muruthtthanai Stupa in Kiran is a 5-meter-high brick monument hidden on a wooded hillock. Plundered by treasure hunters who dug a deep summit pit, the site also includes an ancient rock quarry used for shaping stone architectural elements. […]
Akkuranai Buddhist Monastic Ruins in Kiran (අක්කුරානයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Akkuraṇai Monastic Ruins in Kiran feature a central circular stupa surrounded by terraces, multi-sized pillared structures, and drip-ledged caves. Severely damaged by treasure hunters, the site retains a 2-meter carved flower altar, brick foundations with mortised stone doorframes, and shattered sacred chatra fragments. […]
Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 2 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය 2)
The Maduru Oya Valley site in Miniminiththāweli features an Anurādhapura-period building complex with stone pillars and brick foundations. Unfortunately, illegal excavations by treasure hunters have severely damaged these structures, though they have also exposed various ancient artifacts and pottery. […]
Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 1 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-era Miniminiththāweli site 1 in Kiran features a historic building complex heavily damaged by forest gravel road construction. This development destroyed the site's archaeological context and displaced ancient artifacts, including a stone-carved flower altar bulldozed to the roadside. […]
Mavil Aru Amuna and the Reservoir : A Landmark for Resiliency of the People of Sri Lanka
Mavil Aru Amuna was a turning point for the LTTE, a ruthless terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths of Sri Lankan citizens. The operation to release LTTE grip on this sluice gate turned in to a full scale operation which saw the military defeat of the terrorist organization in 2009. […]
Kurangukodipottamale Drip Ledge Cave (කුරන්ගුකොඩිපෝට්ටමලේ කටාරම් සහිත ගුහාව)
Located in Kadiraweli, this Anuradhapura-era cave features early Brahmi inscriptions and drip ledges, marking it as a significant monastic dwelling. Despite its historical value, the site faces severe threats from unauthorized excavations and commercial quarrying in the Vakarai region. […]
Mavil Anga Nikkanawewa Reserve Archaeological Ruins (මාවිල් අංග නික්කාන වැව රක්ෂිතය පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Nikkanawewa ruins in Vakarai mark an Anuradhapura-era monastic complex. Situated on a rocky outcrop, the site preserves stone pillar bases, ancient bricks, a urinal stone fragment, and terrace remains, confirming its past as a secluded Buddhist forest monastery. […]
Sri Maha Bodhi :The sacred Bo-Tree of Buddhist World (ශ්‍රී මහා බෝධිය)
After bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Mahinda Thero in 250 BC king Tissa received the Sri Maha Bodhi tree sapling and planted it at the present site in 249 BC making this tree 2272 year old (as in 2022). […]
Rediscovering Mavil Anga: An Anuradhapura-Era Image House in Vakarai (කල්ලරිප්පු මාවිල් අංග පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
Mavil Anga is an Anuradhapura-era site in Vakarai featuring a 24-pillar image house. Key finds include a Siripatula Gala and Padmasana, marking it as a significant early Buddhist monastery now hidden within the dense eastern jungle. […]
Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (3) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 3)
The Pullavi Jungle Ruins (3) in Kayankerni are an early Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery complex. Despite treasure-hunting damage, the forested site preserves carved foundation stones, stone pillars, a mortised doorway slab, and balustrade fragments. It represents one of three interconnected yet distinct monastic centers in the area. […]
Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle (පුල්ලාවි වනයේ වණ්ණාතිමඩු පැරණි පොකුණ)
The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare, oval-shaped reservoir dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Enclosed by an earthen embankment, it still holds water and served as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries. […]
Archaeological Site near Kayankerni School (කායංකේණි පාසල අසල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period archaeological site near Kayaṅkerni School in Vakarai features five short stone pillars from a three-row structure. Characterized by distinct chisel marks, the palm-covered site also contains scattered broken pillars, ancient roof tiles, and stone slabs. […]
Padigala (Padiettanamalei) Buddhist Monastic Ruins (පඩිගල පඩිඑත්තනමලෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Paḍigala Monastic Ruins in Vakarai feature a ruined brick stupa atop a rock plateau, reached by an ornamental 69-step stone staircase. The complex includes large building foundations, primitive moonstones, and pottery, though treasure hunter activity has severely damaged the site. […]
Omadiyamadu Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (ඕමඩියාමඩු වනයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period stupa ruins in the Ōmeḍiyāmadu Forest, Vakarai, sit atop a rock formation. Treasure hunters have damaged the small, dilapidated stupa by digging a 2.5-meter-deep pit into its dome. Excavated bricks and stone debris lie scattered nearby. […]
Sitamalai Rock Buddhist Monastic Ruins (සීතාමලායි පර්වත බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Sītāmalai Monastic Ruins in Vakarai are centered on a 90×90-meter rocky outcrop. The site features a damaged brick-and-rubble stupa visible up to its first basal ring, a brick foundation eastward, and two building sites at its southern foot. […]