Joanna James
Are you looking to head down south when you're in Sri Lanka? You must have heard of Galle's vibrant party and nightlife, but there is so much more to this charming city than what meets the eye!
By now you probably know that Sri Lanka was a colony for some time before its independence. Galle bears witness to the times the island nation was colonised, especially by the Portuguese. The Portuguese are said to have arrived in Sri Lanka through the Galle harbour, although this wasn't the original plan. In fact, it is said that the ship was caught amidst a storm, which caused their ship to be redirected towards Galle. The then king of Kotte, Dharmaparakrama Bahu, was befriended by the Portuguese. The king then allowed the Portuguese to build a fort and church inside of Galle, which was meant to be for the security of the Sinhalese people at the time. During your time at a property such as Kahanda Kanda, do spend some time exploring the various fascinating spots in the city that hold immense history.
While the Portuguese did build the stunning Galle Fort, which to this day is fascinating with many things to do in Galle, it didn't stay with them for too long. The Galle Fort was captured by the Dutch in 1640, with the assistance of King Rajasinghe II. The Dutch easily took over the fort, which to this day, is known as the Galle Dutch Fort.
You will come to notice the fascinating times of the streets within the walls of the fort. Each of these names holds very high significance. For example, Church Street is named after the church that was demolished all the way back in the 17th century.
Inside the fort, you will stumble upon a breadfruit tree. It is assumed that this is the oldest breadfruit tree still standing on the island, which was introduced by the Dutch. Today, one can find breadfruit trees all across Sri Lanka!
UNESCO has rightfully recognised the Galle Dutch fort as a heritage site, owing to its generous devotion to arts and culture, and the impressive history behind it. Additionally, the Galle Fort represents a unique blend of architectural styles, ranging from old-age European to south Asian, which is a rather intriguing aspect of the whole area. Today, the walls of the fort are home to a number of people from various ethnicities, boutique hotels, souvenir shops and top-rated restaurants. You can easily stroll around the fort and keep yourself occupied for hours, catch the setting sun sitting against the ramparts or simply go shopping!
The fort was once used as a prison camp, a long time ago. The prison was reserved for the locals opposing colonial rule, during the time of the Portuguese.
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