Galle Heritage site
Dutch Fort & Dutch Church
| Dutch Fort | Dutch Church |
Sri Lanka's Maritime Heritage
Researching Sri Lanka 's Maritime Heritage
| The last of our traditional sailing ships |
| Sri Lankan mariners existed in the north of the island, too. The Jaffna ships, called thonis, were large cargo ships, traditional inside in appearance they were copies of European and Indian ships. They had eyes on either side of the bow, a shrine to god Shiva inside, and a row of false gun-ports were painted along the sides. Before launching a ship or starting a voyage, a pooja was conducted, smashing coconuts, marking the three Shaivite ash-marks on the stem. About four centuries ago, one set sail, again to the Maldives . She coasted south up to Ambalangoda , where she was to change course westward. But she, too, became a victim of the sea. Her bones are sometimes visible under certain conditions and the MAD could not find her on a quick visit. The people from the wadiya close by had taken bits and pieces and sold some. Our team was able to see what was left and list what had been removed. Small iron cannon, a statue of a god, Chinese pottery and brass cooking vessels had been sold. |
The capital of the southern province is a city with a colourful history. UNESCO declared World Heritage Site the magnificent Dutch fort is the most popular attraction of the town. 300 year old Dutch atmosphere is still very much alive around the fort and amidst its many historical buildings not invaded by the skyscrapers. The beautiful beach of Unawatuna is just 6km south east of the city centre.
The southern coastal belt is the most popular among the tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calm with blue skies. The earliest European administrative centre of Sri Lanka was the major port and the largest city until the British shifted the port to Colombo. The City of Galle had been the European administrative centre over 4 centuries.