Matara ( si, මාතර, translit=Māthara, ta, மாத்தறை, translit=Māttaṟai) is a major city in
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 ...
, on the southern coast of
Southern Province. It is the second largest city in
Southern Province. It is from
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
. It is a major commercial hub, and it is the administrative capital and largest city of
Matara District
Matara ( si, මාතර දිස්ත්රික්කය ''Mātara distrikkaya''; ta, மாத்தறை மாவட்டம் ''Māttaṛai māvaṭṭam'') is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts ...
.
Etymology
Consist of two elements, the term Matara gives its meaning as ''the Great Ferry'', that may be the meaning "great seaport" or "great fortress". It is also thought as being derived from the mispronunciation of the word 'Matora' by the Portuguese who called it 'Mature' or ''Maturai'' in 1672.
The native word 'Matora' might also derived from 'Maha Tera' meaning the place where the Great River was crossed.
It was also called 'Maha Tota' (Malo Tota) or Maha- pattana, the great ferry.''Maha Ethara'' meaning "great ford".
Today, the
Nilwala River runs through Matara and it is said that there was a wide area where
ferries
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...
used to cross. In 1673, the Dutch minister
Philippus Baldaeus
Philips Baelde or Father Philippus Baldaeus, (baptized on 24 October 1632, Delft – 1671, Geervliet) was a Dutch minister. He went to Jaffna during the Dutch period in Ceylon with an invading Dutch force. As the second European after Abr ...
had called it 'Mature', in 1681,
Robert Knox
Robert Knox (4 September 1791 – 20 December 1862) was a Scottish anatomist and ethnologist best known for his involvement in the Burke and Hare murders. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Knox eventually partnered with anatomist and former teach ...
named it as 'Matura' and in 1744, Heydt called it 'Maderon'.
History
Matara historically belongs to the area that was called the
Kingdom of Ruhuna
The Principality of Ruhuna, also referred to as the Kingdom of Ruhuna, is a region of present-day Southern and Eastern Sri Lanka. It was the center of a flourishing civilisation and the cultural and economic centres of ancient Sri Lanka. Magama, T ...
, which was one of the three kingdoms in Sri Lanka (Thun Sinhalaya තුන් සිංහලය). According to
Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera
Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera (1408 – 1491) was a Buddhist monk and an eminent scholar, who lived in the 15th century in Sri Lanka. He was a polyglot who was given the title "''Shad Bhasha Parameshwara''" due to his mastery in six oriental lang ...
's ''Paravi Sndesaya'' King Weerabamapanam made Matara as his capital and named it "Mapatuna". The temple in the middle of the town is also built by ancient kings, and now it is a very popular sacred place among the Buddhists in the area.
In the 16th and 18th centuries, Matara was ruled by the Portuguese and the Dutch respectively.
In 1756, the Dutch captured the Maritime Province and divided it into four administrative areas — Sabaragamuwa, Sath Korle, Sathara Korele and Matara. Out of these, Matara District covered the largest area (essentially the whole of the
Southern Province up to the Kaluganga River). In the deed given by
King Dharmapala to the Dutch, it mentioned that the area of Matara District extended from
Kotte to Walawe Ganga River.
In 1760, the fort was successfully attacked by forces from the Kandyan kingdom. Matara maintained in the hands of the Sinhalese for almost one year. In 1762, the Dutch recaptured Matara Fort, without any significant resistance. Matara was the second most important fort, behind
Galle fort
Galle Fort ( si, ගාලු කොටුව ''Galu Kotuwa''; ta, காலிக் கோட்டை, translit=Kālik Kōṭṭai), in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then ex ...
, for the southern maritime provinces of the Dutch and a commanding base for some inland forts.
In 1796, the fort was ceremoniously handed over to the British. The Dutch and English culture and architecture can still be seen throughout the area. The
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 ...
at
Dondra Head
Dondra (, ) is a settlement on the extreme southernmost tip of Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean near Matara, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. The Dondra Head Lighthouse, ruins of several Hindu shrines of Tenavaram and a Vihara (Buddhist temple) are ...
was built by the Dutch, and it is considered one of the oldest lighthouses in Sri Lanka. The two fortresses, the
Matara fort
The Matara Fort ( si, මාතර බලකොටුව ''Mathara Balakotuwa''; ta, மாத்தறைக் கோட்டை, translit=Māttaṟaik Kōṭṭai) was built in 1560 by the Portuguese and was substantially re-built by the Dutc ...
and the
Star fort
A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, literally meaning ''Italian outline'') is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to domin ...
, that were built by the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
can be found in the city. Other important Colonial works are the St Mary's Church and the marketplace at Nupe Junction.
![Weherahena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Weherahena.jpg)
The most famous thinkers who lived in the area are
Kumaratunga Munidasa
Kumaratunga Munidasa ( Sinhala: කුමාරතුංග මුනිදාස; 25 July 1887 – 2 March 1944) was a pioneer Sri Lankan ( Sinhalese) linguist, grammarian, commentator, and writer. He founded the Hela Havula movement, wh ...
and
Gajaman Nona
Donna Isabella Koraneliya ( si, දෝන ඉසබෙලා කොරනෙලියා) ( Gajaman Nona) (10 March 1746-15 December 1815) was a Sri Lankan author who was noted for having the ability to write and recite impromptu Sinhala poetry ...
. The ethnic majority of Matara is Sinhalese; during the 16th and 17th centuries
Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
arrived in the area as traders from Arabia. Today their descendants coexist with
Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
peacefully as an ethnic minority.
Attractions
![Wewurukannala Vihara, Sri Lanka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Wewurukannala_Vihara%2C_Sri_Lanka.jpg)
Matara is a busy, booming and sprawling commercial town that owes almost nothing to tourism – which can make it a fascinating window on modern Sri Lankan life. Matara's main attractions are its ramparts, Dutch architecture, a well-preserved fort and its street life.
* Parey Dewa (Rock in Water) or Paravi Dupatha temple is a relatively modern Buddhist temple on Pigeon Island (a small offshore island) in front of the city. It is reached by an elegant
cable-stayed footbridge, which was erected in 2008 (replacing an earlier bridge, which was washed away in the 2004 tsunami). The temple is set in attractive gardens and houses numerous statues of Buddha and a replica of the alleged footprint found on
Adam's Peak
Adam's Peak is a tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the Sri Pada ( si, ශ්රී පාද), i.e., "sacred footprint", a rock formation near the summit, which in Buddhist tradition is held to be ...
.
* Weragampita Rajamaha Viharaya Temple
*
Matara Bodhiya, a Buddhist temple, which is the site of a sacred fig tree.
*
Matara fort
The Matara Fort ( si, මාතර බලකොටුව ''Mathara Balakotuwa''; ta, மாத்தறைக் கோட்டை, translit=Māttaṟaik Kōṭṭai) was built in 1560 by the Portuguese and was substantially re-built by the Dutc ...
/ramparts: The Matara fort was built in 1560 by the Portuguese and was substantially re-built by the Dutch in 1640, following the capture of Galle. The fort, which consists of a large stone
rampart
Rampart may refer to:
* Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement
Rampart may also refer to:
* "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...
, occupies the
promontory
A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...
, which separates the Niwala River lagoon and the ocean.
*
Dutch Reformed Church, Matara
The Dutch Reformed Church is located within the Matara fort in Matara and is situated near the entrance to the fort. The church was built by the Dutch in 1706 and is a smaller version of the church in Galle fort. It is one of the oldest Protes ...
was constructed within Matara fort by the Dutch in 1706. It was extensively remodeled in 1767, following the recapture of the fort in 1762.
*
Star Fort
A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, literally meaning ''Italian outline'') is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to domin ...
is on the western or landward side of the Nawali River. The fort was constructed by the Dutch following the Matara rebellion in 1761, to protect the main fort from attacks originating from the river. Construction of the unique
star-shaped fort was completed in 1765.
*
Old Nupe Market was constructed in 1784 by the Dutch, about from Matara fort.
* St Mary's Church is on Beach Road. The date on the doorway (1769) refers to the reconstruction following the 1762 Matara Rebellion.
Education
Universities
*
University of Ruhuna
The University of Ruhuna ( si, රුහුණ විශ්වවිද්යාලය, රෝහණ සරසවිය (Ruhuṇa Viśvavidyālaya, Rohana sarasaviya),; ta, ருகுண பல்கலைக் கழகம்) is a publ ...
*
Open University of Sri Lanka
"The Open University of Sri Lanka" (OUSL; si, ශ්රී ලංකා විවෘත විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ta, இலங்கை திறந்த பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a national universit ...
(regional centre)
*
Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (regional centre)
*
University College of Matara
Schools
*
*
*
*
St. Thomas' College, established in 1844
*
Rahula College
Rahula College ( Sinhala: රාහුල විද්යාලය ''Rāhulaa Vidyālaya'') (Tamil: ராஹுல வித்தியாலம் ''Rāhula vittiyālam'') is a boys' school in Sri Lanka, located in Matara district. Though ...
, established in 1923.
*
St. Mary's Convent established in 1908.
*
St. Servatius College, established in 1897
* Mahamaya Girls' School established in 1932
*
*
St. Thomas' Girls' High School established in 1898
*
Sujatha Vidyalaya, established in 1929
* Matara Central College, Established in 1932
* Shariputhara Collage, established in 1927
* Mahinda Rajapassa School, established in 2013
*
*
Economy and infrastructure
Transport
Rail
The
Matara railway station
Matara railway station is a station in Matara, Sri Lanka. It is owned and operated by Sri Lanka Railways
The Sri Lanka Railway Department (more commonly known as Sri Lanka Railways (SLR)) ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා දුම ...
, was the terminus of
Sri Lanka Railways'
Coastal Line, until an extension to
Beliatta
Beliatta is a town located in the Hambantota District of Sri Lanka.
Geography
It is an inland town, approximately, from the coastal town of Tangalle. Beliatta has the second highest mountain range located in the Beliatta Divisional Secretari ...
was opened in April 2019.
Road
Matara is a major transport hub in the country. It is served by the
A2 highway, which runs through the city. It is also the southern terminus of stage 2 of the southern expressway
E01 expressway (Sri Lanka)
The Southern Expressway ( si, දක්ෂිණ ලංකා අධිවේගි මාර්ගය, Dakśina Laṃkā adhivēgi mārgaya; ta, தென்னிலங்கை அதிவேக நெடுஞ்சாலை) is Sri Lanka's ...
since March 2014.
See also
*
Railway stations in Sri Lanka
List of railway stations in Sri Lanka, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
A
* Abanpola railway station, Abanpola, North Western Province
* Agbopura railway station, Agbopura, Eastern Province
* Ahangama railway station, Ahangama, ...
References
External links
District Secretariat – Matara
{{Authority control
Populated places in Southern Province, Sri Lanka
pl:Matara (Sri Lanka)