The Galle Lighthouse (also known as Pointe de Galle Light) is an onshore

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Souther ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

and is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. This is Sri Lanka's oldest light station.

History

Philippus Baldaeus, a Dutch

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

who served in the area in the late 1650s, detailed his observations of Galle Harbour, in his work, ''A True and Exact Description of the most Celebrated East-India Coasts of Malabar and Coromandel and also of the isle of Ceylon'' (1672), stating that there was an iron cannon placed on the ramparts and a lantern to guide the sailors on top of the 28 feet above sea level rock which jutted out into the sea. The first lighthouse at Galle was built by the British in 1848. It was a iron lighthouse, constructed from cast-iron plates, imported from England, designed by British architect Alexander Gordon and erected by Messrs. Robinson, Engineers of

Pimlico Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by London V ...

. The lighthouse, painted white, was located on the southwest bastion (the Utrecht Bastion) of Galle Fort on the western side of Galle Harbor. It had a fixed point light with prolate reflectors, which was visible for . In July 1936 it was destroyed by fire. The current concrete lighthouse was erected by the British about from the original site in 1939. The original light was furnished with a glass prism lens floating in a bath of

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

(to reduce friction) and was powered by a weight driven machine. The light station is within the walls of the ancient Galle Fort, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

and well known tourist attraction. The lighthouse is strategically located at the southern end of the promontory, built approximately above the road level on the ramparts, at what is known as the Point Utrecht Bastion, giving it full view of any ships entering

Galle Harbour Galle Harbour is a natural harbour, located in Galle, on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka. Currently Galle port serves as one of the most active regional ports in the country. It is also the only Sri Lankan port that provides facilities for p ...

References

External links

Galle LightSri Lanka Ports Authority

Lighthouses of Sri Lanka

{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1848 Lighthouses completed in 1839 Lighthouses in Sri Lanka Buildings and structures in Galle Tourist attractions in Southern Province, Sri Lanka

History

See also

References

External links