- Type
- Fortress
- Built
- 17th century
- Location
- Jaffna, Sri Lanka
- Coordinates
- 9.6621°, 80.0083°
History
After conquering the Tamil Kingdom of Jaffna in 1618–1619, the Portuguese under Filipe de Oliveira built a fort by the lagoon, named Fortress of Our Lady of Miracles after a revered statue in a nearby church. On 22 June 1658, after a siege, it was taken by the Dutch under Rijcklof van Goens, who in the second half of the 17th century rebuilt it as a regular pentagonal fortress with bastions and a moat. The British took over the fort in 1795 and kept a garrison here until 1948. During the civil war the fortress was besieged several times and for some years was held by the Tamil Tigers, until in 1995 the army recaptured it after a 50-day siege during Operation Riviresa. Fighting and stone-robbing wrecked most of the buildings inside the walls, and in the 21st century the fortress has been restored with Dutch support.
What to see
Massive walls of coral stone blocks with five bastions are ringed by a broad moat, and the ramparts look out over the lagoon and the town. In the courtyard stand Dutch-era buildings under restoration, among them the former governor's residence (King's House) and the Queen's House, as well as the ruins of the Kruys Kerk church of 1706, destroyed in the fighting. An army detachment is still stationed in the fortress, so parts of it may be off limits, but the ramparts are a favourite evening stroll for Jaffna's residents.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q2756663
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