The Old Nupe Market ( si, නූපේ පැරණි වෙළඳ ගොඩනැගිල්ල) or the Old Dutch Market is a historic, European-built structure in

Matara, Sri Lanka Matara ( si, මාතර, translit=Māthara, ta, மாத்தறை, translit=Māttaṟai) is a major city in Sri Lanka, on the southern coast of Southern Province. It is the second largest city in Southern Province. It is from Colombo. ...

. It is located about from

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 ...

, at the junction of the Matara-Akuressa Highway (A24) and Matara Road (B535).

Building

The building was built in the late eighteenth century, probably by the British, but possibly 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 ...

. It was used to house the Nupe

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

. The open-sided market building was constructed in a 'T' shape, with the upper bars of the T running parallel with the road and providing the entrance. The pitched roof is tiled in red Sinhala Kandyan period clay tiles (peti-ulu) and supported by large white stone pillars. The supporting wooden frame of the roof is elaborate and edged with lavish latticework. The building is high and comprises a by timber

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

in the middle of the building with three small wooden

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

s above the main roof. One wing would have housed the vegetable market, the other wing meat and fish. The stem of the T was mostly likely to have been used for the sale of textiles and household items.

References

{{Reflist Nupe Market Nupe Market Archaeological protected monuments in Matara District

Building

See also

References