Beauty of Galle

Calm galle fort at mid-day

landscafe inside  fort

A local fishermen at work

Brief hestory of fort building

During the Age of Discovery, in the 100 years from the mid 15th to the mid 17th, (that is, about 500 years ago) many seafaring nations of Europe engaged in intensive exploration of the world, both to the east and to the west, in their own sailing ships. Their explorations were to map the planet, establish direct contacts with Africa, the Americas, Asia and the islands scattered throughout most of the Pacific Ocean and establish overseas empires for the next three hundred odd years.

The Portuguese, the Spaniards, the Dutch, the British and the French founded overseas empires losing and wining a considerable number of battles for land, sea routes, commerce and religion.  In their newly established empires, they maintained themselves by building Forts, most of which have now disappeared to date, though. A remarkable specimen of one such piece of ancient architecture built by the Europeans still dwells among the untrodden ways, beside the Indian Ocean, by many a traveller, a fort whom there are none to praise and very few to love.

Brief histroy of building

Dutch museum

Galle Dutch Museum

Housed in a Dutch Colonial building within the Fort of Galle in Church Street adjoining the New Oriental Hotel, the Dutch Museum contains paintings, prints, documents, furniture, ceramics and various artifacts from the Dutch colonial era reflecting the art and culture of the Southern Province.

Galle

  Location: Distance from Colombo: 116 km

 

Galle  (pronounced as one syllable in English "Gaul") is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. The major river is Gin River (Gin Ganga) which starts from Gongala Kanda and passing villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada, Wakwella and kisses the sea at Ginthota. In Wakwella over the river there is Wakwella Bridge which is the longest bridge in Sri Lanka.

OUR NATIONAL HERITAGE