| Batticaloa Fort Portuguese/Dutch Fort | |
|---|---|
| Part of Batticaloa | |
| Batticaloa, Sri Lanka | |
Batticaloa Fort
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Batticaloa Fort
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| Coordinates | 7°42′43″N 81°42′09″E / 7.711901°N 81.702377°E / 7.711901; 81.702377 |
| Type | Defence fort |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Government of Sri Lanka |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Good |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1628[1] |
| Built by | Portuguese and Dutch |
| Materials | Granite Stones and coral |
| Battles/wars | Several battles |
The Batticaloa Fort (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்புக் கோட்டை, romanized: Maṭṭakkaḷappuk Kōṭṭai; Sinhala: මඩකලපුව බලකොටුව, romanized: Madakalapuwa Balakotuwa) was built by the Portuguese in 1628 and was captured by the Dutch on 18 May 1638.[2] From 1795, the fort was used by the British.
The fort has a structure of four bastions and is protected by the Batticaloa Lagoon on two sides and a canal on the other two sides. The fort is still in reasonable condition and currently houses several local administrative departments of the Sri Lanka government in new buildings, which are located within the old structure.[3]
Timeline of Batticaloa fort in colonial time.[4]
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| Ancient Forts |
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| Colonial Forts |
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Less or no contribution/renovation works of Dutch are marked by † symbol under "Portuguese Forts", and others are considered as Dutch forts too. | ||
