- Type
- Fortress
- Built
- 1665 · 17th century
- Location
- Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
- Coordinates
- 8.5753°, 81.2414°
History
The Portuguese built the first fort on the headland enclosing Trincomalee Bay in the early 1620s, using stones from the Hindu temple of Koneswaram on top of Swami Rock, which they had demolished. The Dutch captured the stronghold in 1639, and in 1665 they built a new fort on its site, named Fort Fredrick. One of Asia's finest natural harbours, Trincomalee was fought over by the great powers: in January 1782 the British took the fort, and a few months later the French fleet of Admiral Suffren won it back. In 1795 the fortress passed permanently to the British, who made Trincomalee a Royal Navy base, and after Ceylon's independence the fort was taken over by the army.
What to see
A road runs through the gate in the walls up to the top of Swami Rock, and because the fort is still a Sri Lankan army barracks, visitors pass through its grounds on foot or by car. Among the military buildings stand stretches of wall, old cannon and colonial-era buildings, while spotted deer roam freely on the lawns. At the tip of the headland is the Koneswaram temple, rebuilt in the 20th century, and the cliff gives views over the ocean and the bay.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q3070381
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