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 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, which separates the Niwala Ganga (River) lagoon and the ocean.

History

The Portuguese constructed the first fortifications in 1595, with the assistance of Don Juan Dharmapala, the ruler of the

Kingdom of Kotte The Kingdom of Kotte ( si, කෝට්ටේ රාජධානිය, Kottay Rajadhaniya), named after its capital, Kotte, was a Sinhalese kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century. Kotte, under the rule of Ming-backed ...

. In 1640 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 ...

captured Matara from the Portuguese, and in 1645 they were responsible for the construction of the current fortifications. The fort consists of a long, thick, high rampart and the gateway constructed from local limestone, granite and coral. The rampart originally had a ditch in front of it, two half bastion projections at each end and a larger projection in the centre close to the gate with a bridge across the ditch. It was built to protect the administrative buildings of VOC (

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 ...

), who were attracted by the deep and sheltered

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

of the Nilwala Ganga, making Matara an important centre for cinnamon and

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

trading. During the 'Matara Rebellion' of 1761, the fort was captured by Kirti Sri Rajasinha's

Kandyan Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

army that bombarded the town with cannonballs that went over the wall. After spiking their own cannon and destroying their ammunition and provisions, the garrison was evacuated by two ships that were waiting at sea. The Dutch recaptured the fort on 2 February 1762, finding eight cannon on the walls, including an English one. During the Dutch rule the District Secretary's house, the cinnamon,

areca nut ''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name ...

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...

storage and an elephant kraal (containing four elephant stables, which could house up to 80 elephants and a tank where the elephants were washed) were constructed within the fort. The oldest building within the fort is the Dutch Reformatory Church, which is situated near the entrance. It was built by the Dutch in 1706 the date however etched above the entrance, 1767, refers to the reconstruction of the church by the Dutch following the Matara Rebellion. The door and window panels are made of heavy wood while the walls now show signs of crumbling as the proper mixture to rebuild them could not be found within Sri Lanka. Inside are gravestones on the floor dating back to 1686, of significant community members and beneficiaries of their time. On 24 February 1796 the Fort was handed over to the British by the Dutch. The southern bastion facing the sea was subsequently removed by the British, in order to grant access to the town along the ocean foreshore. During the British occupation, the Courts Complex (including the Magistrate Court and the High Court), Rest House and the Matara Police Station were constructed within the fort area. The majority of walawwas or mansions that belonged to Sri Lankan aristocratic families within the fort area are now utilised for other purposes, such as commercial offices, guesthouses and temples, while others have been let to fall into ruin. In 1817 the British established a

mission school The Mission School (sometimes called "New Folk" or "Urban Rustic") is an art movement of the 1990s and 2000s, centered in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. History and characteristics This movement is generally considered to have ...

, today the President's College. In 1883 the British built a high clock tower atop the remaining rampart. The rampart was declared a protected monument under the Antiquities Ordinance No 9 of 1940 section 33. The gate and walls of the main fort were restored in 1985-86 by a Dutch firm, Ballast Nedam. Matara fort is currently the administration centre for the entire

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 ...

, with the offices of the

District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...

, Divisional Secretariat, Courts of Law and numerous other state offices.

References

{{Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese empire, state=collapsed 1560 establishments in the Portuguese Empire British forts in Sri Lanka Buildings and structures in Matara, Sri Lanka Dutch forts in Sri Lanka Forts in Southern Province, Sri Lanka Infrastructure completed in 1595 Portuguese forts in Sri Lanka Archaeological protected monuments in Matara District Buildings and structures associated with the Dutch East India Company

History

See also

References