Dutch Fort of Tangalle (තංගල්ල බලකොටුව)

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Tangalle (known as Tangalla in Sinhalese) is a large town in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. Tangalle is a regionally important fishing port, situated on one of the largest bays in Sri Lanka, which is protected from the ocean by an enclosing reef. Today it is a center of tourism and a popular holiday destination on the south coast.

In the town center lies the old Dutch fort, which is used as a prison today. The Dutch and subsequently the British used Tangalle as an important anchorage on the southern coast of the island. The Dutch Fort, Rest House and Court House are a few remaining examples of Dutch architecture in Tangalle.

When the Dutch first arrived in Tangalle, the entire area that is now the town was once the expansive courtyard of an ancient Buddhist temple. This temple was positioned centrally on a mound facing the sea. The boundaries of the temple were demarcated by a broad masonry ramp, nearly five feet high, with both ends stretching to the seafront, about half a mile apart (Brohier, 1929).

The Dutch built this fort at the most strategic point of the mound where this temple once stood around 1775 on top of a slope above the shores of its bay. In the same period, the Dutch also built a small church. During the British occupation, this fort was heavily modified and was used as a prison.

A British military report from 1837 described Tangalle as a small rectangular fort built of coral stone, in good condition and capable of housing 50 to 100 men. It appears that shortly after this report, the fort was converted into a jail, as noted in the History of the Public Works Department (1922), which states that the fort had been used as a prison for over 80 years.

Details of the current internal arrangements are unclear. However, the bastions seem to remain solid, with buildings constructed on their platforms and a modern stairway ascending the outside of one flank to a door cut near the parapet level.

The entire exterior, once coral, has now been covered with cement. There are no visible signs of a ditch or outworks.

Plan of the Tangalle Fort
source : The Dutch forts of Sri Lanka: The military monuments of Ceylon

References

Brohier, R. L. (1929). Vestiges of Dutch Occupation in the Hambantota District. Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon, vol 19(1), 21–29.
Nelson, W. A. (1984). The Dutch forts of Sri Lanka: The military monuments of Ceylon. Canongate Publishing Limited.
Ramerini, M. (2019) The Dutch Fort of Tangalle, Sri Lanka, Colonial Voyage. Available at: https://www.colonialvoyage.com/the-dutch-fort-of-tangalle-sri-lanka/ (Accessed: April 21, 2023).
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 29). Tangalle. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:51, April 21, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tangalle&oldid=1113086645

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Map of Tangalle Fort

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Driving Directions to Tangalle Fort

Route from Colombo to Tangalle fort

Through: Southern Highway – Matara
Distance: 208 km
Travel time: 3 hours
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References

Also See

Map of Tangalle Fort

Driving Directions to Tangalle Fort

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