Katuwana Fort ( si, කටුවන බලකොටුව ''Katuwana Balakotuwa''; ta, கட்டுவனைக் கோட்டை, translit=Kaṭṭuvaṉaik Kōṭṭai; also known as Fort Catuna or Fort Catoene), is an inland fort constructed 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 ...

in 1646.

The Dutch generally built forts along the coastal areas to protect strategic harbours and anchorages from other colonial forces, such as the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

. They did however construct some forts inland, primarily to defend the coastal lowland areas from attacks by the Kingdom of Kandy. Katuwana fort was built approximately from Matara, in the Kandyan foothills at the northern limits of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

's territory. The fort was located on the slope of a hill, with high ramparts, a single gateway and a walkway on top. It was diagonal in shape, with two bastions, which each accommodated six

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

, as a result it was often described as a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

rather than a fort. In 1761 during the 'Matara Rebellion' the fort was captured by Kirti Sri Rajasinha's Kandyan forces and partly destroyed. Following the anexure of the Kandy Kingdom by the

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in 1815 the fort lost its strategic value and was abandoned.

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