Galle Fort is a fort built by the Portuguese in the Galle area. It was later modernized by the Dutch in the 17th century and now dates back 400 years. Today, two gates are used to access the fort. Named as a World Heritage Site, Galle Fort is a beautiful and ancient object. Galle Fort is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka.
It is a World Heritage Site completed by the Portuguese in 1588 and later extensively modernized by the Dutch in the 17th century. The United Nations has acknowledged that Galle Fort is of ancient value. It is also known as the Dutch Fort or the Galle Wall.
History of Galle Fort
Lorenzo de Almeida, son of Pomerancinco de Almeida, emperor of Goa, was sent to search Arabian merchant ships plying the Maldivian coast. Lorenzo de Almeida's crew, who were on a mission with a fleet of 9 ships, encountered an unexpected setback. The sudden storms at sea forced the sailors to move in unexpected directions. It is said that he was brought to Sri Lanka by accident. Some believe that they landed in the Colombo suburbs, while others speculate that they landed in the Galle suburbs.
The fort was created in the coastal region of Ceylon with the conquest of power by the Portuguese in the coastal region. The Galle fort in the south was built as a result of this. The construction of the Galle Fort was started by the Portuguese in the year 1589. Documents with detailed estimates of construction confirm this information. By creating the Galle Fort, the Portuguese wanted to further consolidate their military power in the vicinity of the Galle Harbor. Utilizing primitive raw materials such as stone and coconut, which they could find around them, the Portuguese engineers built a fortified wall with three watchtowers on the mainland part of the Galle Fort, which is naturally situated in the shape of a peninsula. These watchtowers were then known as the Sipantla St. Iagola Concepcion. There was a guarded gate to enter the fort they had created.
The heart of the Portuguese fort was known as the Black Fort. Experts point out two reasons why this area is called the Black Fort, as it looks black to the naked eye. Some believe that the blacksmithing site, which was used for the manufacture of weapons, turned the area largely black, and the widespread use of artillery in the area led to the darkening of the area as the Black Fort.
The old maps of the Galle Fort, created by the Portuguese, are accurate, though not scalable. The fort is naturally protected from the sea using natural rocks located in the seafront. Artillery mounted on artificial watchtowers also provided ground protection. has. According to ancient paintings, the Portuguese fort contained a number of religious buildings, houses and commercial establishments.
According to ancient records, about 275 families lived there. Portuguese soldiers, Laskirinja or local soldiers and capricorns were armed to defend the fort. In March 1640, William Jacob Coaster, a Dutchman, and his men fought a major battle to capture Galle Fort from the Portuguese. Due to the war the old fortified wall with 3 fortifications was destroyed. The Dutch were able to obtain such a ruined fort from the Portuguese.
With the creation of Galle Fort as a fortified city, the Dutch sought to control the coast of Ceylon by making Galle the administrative center of the city. Galle Fort was re-created at various times during the Dutch period.
The Dutch rebuilt the three forward forts of the Galle fort, which were destroyed by the Dutch war with the Portuguese, and named them SON, MAAN, STER Bastian. SON Bastian, now known as the Sun Palace
The watchtower was last completed by the Portuguese in 1620. Named St. Iago or St. James in Portuguese times, the castle was renamed the 1667 ZON ZON or Sun Palace. The mansion was opened by the wife of then-Governor Ridge Clough von Goons, Gertr de Solih Minnie. The secret tunnel that led from the upper floor to the lower floor of the Sun Tower can still be seen today. It has a stone slab showing the year 1677. Four secret battle chambers in the Sun Tower can still be identified today. At present those places are covered with security gates. Hiru Atalaya is the Pannaradhana security post which provided security parallel to the check post entering the fort. In 1760, 15 artillery pieces were kept on the fort. The Dutch fort was later renamed Middle Point or Middle Bastian by the Dutch. In 1667, the palace was renamed MEAN or the Moon Palace. German artillery is guarded here. In 1760, 19 artillery pieces were stationed at this location.
The Antonys Clock Tower, built in 1883, is located here. Prior to the construction of the clock tower, a bell tower with two walls and an arched stone roof was installed here as a clock tower.
There was a bunker called Cavalier or Cat Hole in this lunar attic. A unit of 263 troops was stationed here, and in 1760 109 artillery pieces were stationed here. The arched doors of the secret bunker near the clock tower are still identified, and the bunker was closed for security reasons. The entrance to the basement of the Moon Attic is a tunnel that can be lowered to the ground on the right. There was a secret passage through this tunnel to the Star Palace. Part of this tunnel can now be identified.
The Portuguese named the third watchtower, St. Anthony's or Seepen, 1667 Star or Castle. The palace was opened by the daughter of Dutch Commander Adrian Rutas, who lit artillery. In 1760, six artillery pieces were stationed at this location. Several more sophisticated bunkers can be identified in this attic. From its basement is a secret tunnel that can be accessed underground by a protective staircase. The ground floor is also separated from the Moon Palace by an arched door. The tunnel, which had a staircase downstairs, may have been used as a secret entrance to communicate with other attics.
Underneath the Star Palace is a large battle room. This was known as the ammunition mill in the Dutch period. Architecturally similar to a prison. It may have come into use as a prison cell because of the grinding of ammunition by slaves. That secret storehouse is made of an arched brick roof. There are windows and small windows to let air in. An L-shaped platform is built to receive sunlight. The interior windows are made of stone frames. The entrance reminds one of the nature of a prison cell in a mysterious castle where the mysteries of the past are hidden.
Ancient documents state that a very clean stream from the Star Palace to the Klippenberg Watchtower flowed beautifully down the ramparts, parallel to the ramparts. Although this stream is not visible at present, it appears to be a thin stream during the rainy season.
The Evolus watchtower was known as Newpoint during the Dutch period. There is a battle room that can be carefully guarded. There is evidence that there was an artillery shell capable of firing 7 tons on the attic. This artillery can not be identified at present because it is covered with soil. A 7-ton artillery barracks can also be seen on the Clippernburg watchtower. Between these two watchtowers are battlefields with 3 gates. Although the war chambers in Clippernburg are open to the public, the battle chambers in the Evolus are still open for security reasons. These battle chambers may have been designed to store and hide soldiers' ammunition.
Open windows have been created where guns can be aimed and fired safely at enemy locations throughout the fortifications. Each of these windows has a stone base that swings in one direction. These stone bases may have been used to push the gun. In emergencies it was the soldier's job to push the gun along the stone bases and fire. The Evolus watchtower mentioned above is also known as 1725 Newpoint17
Also known as 35 halve Bolwerh (half attic). In 1770, 5 guns were used here. Neptune's watchtower was built between 1726 and 1729 by Governor Peter Weist. In 1735, 8 guns were installed here. The Tannery watchtower was designed by the same governor. This shows that various constructions were done during that period to ensure security.
The Tyrrhythmian watchtower had a well-known windmill set up in the area during the British rule. These windmills, powered by wind, pumped seawater to land. The tanks mounted on the carts were filled with seawater, and these carts daily sprayed water on dusty roads. 1890 The Galle Municipal Council started spraying water with the help of clay pipes instead of carts. Ancient documents state that the Municipal Council carried out this experiment by laying 1000 feet of clay pipe from India.
The flagstone tower was home to the Dutch-era flagpole. It is the duty of the signalmen at this flagpole to search for clues about the oncoming ship. It is said that the soldiers on duty at the flagpole had to climb the flagpole several times. Ships sailing from the flagpole were observed with the help of telescopes. This signaled the landing of ships arriving at the port. The center was looking into whether the ship was suitable for entry. Earlier, one shot was fired at a familiar ship and three shots fired at a foreign ship. In response, information was sought and the signal was switched on. Due to the dangerous sea environment with large boulders at the Galle harbor, it was the custom at that time to bring a pilot aboard the ship to the port. After those shots, the land captain went aboard and brought the ship to port.