The Fort of Batticaloa

Originally a Portuguese settlement, the Fort of Batticaloa was constructed in 1628. Batticaloa, the main city of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, lie on the coast. The fort is situated on one of its many islands.

The Dutch arrived in Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) in 1602 in search of the spices on the island, particularly pepper and cinnamon. They captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1638 at the request of King Rajasinghe of the Kandyan Kingdom. The British took over the fort in 1772.

It was well protected with a moat on two sides and a lagoon on the other two sides. It survived the 2004 tsunami and is currently under conservation as a heritage site by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage of Sri Lanka. The goal is to preserve the National Archaeological Heritage Monument and upgrade the area as a tourist attraction. The Netherlands Cultural Cooperation Program plans to conserve the rampart walls, clean the moat, preserve the buildings, establish a Dutch Period Museum, and provide visitor facilities.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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