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Photo by Samarasinghe.N.H.
The historic market building at the Nupe Junction had been built by the Dutch in 1775 according to the notice board at the site but according to a Dutch Cultural Heritage site (Cultural Heritage Connections) this site was built by the British.
Either way this building at the Nupe has been used as a market during the British occupation in Matara. Built to be in the shape of the English letter ‘T’, this building has been constructed on pillars and tiled with round tiles. The supporting wooden frame of the clay tiled roof is elaborate and edged with lavish latticework. It is 15m in height and supported by massive white stone pillars. The roof is paved with typical Kandyan Era flat tiles (pethi ulu). A peculiar feature is the three small roofs above the main roof.
As the years grew on from the British times and till many years thereafter, this spacious Dutch Nupe edifice fell into disuse. It ultimately was in desolation and became the refuge of the roaming stray cattle. In the 1980s a portion of its building collapsed, when the department of Archaeology took over its functions of restoring the building. Still later its further restorations came under the Urban Development Authority which completed its restoration work in 1989, when it was handed over to the Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple which ran a cottage industry.
Today this building is used to house various exhibitions.
Also See
Map of Nupe Market Building
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Travel Directions to Nupe Market Building
Route from Colombo to Nupe Market Building |
| Through : Southern Expressway Distance : 162 km Travel time : 2.30-3 hours Driving directions : see on google map |