Best things to see in Jaffna

Best of Jaffna

The essential sights of Sri Lanka's Tamil cultural capital: the Dutch fort, the Nallur temple, the rebuilt public library and the city's historic mosques and churches.

Best of Jaffna — Map

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A

Jaffna Fort

Built by the Portuguese in 1618 under Phillippe de Oliveira following their invasion, this historic fort stands as one of the city's prominent colonial ruins.

B

Nallur Sivan Kovil

A Hindu place of worship located in Jaffna.

Dooom on en:WP / pd

C

Burning of Jaffna Public Library

An important civic library and historic landmark, famously burned by an organized mob of Sinhalese individuals on June 1, 1981.

D

Jaffna Archeological Museum

An archaeological museum showcasing historic artifacts in Jaffna.

E

Thileepan Memorial

F

Clock

Clock

Ghostface Buddha / cc-by-sa-2.0

G

St. Mary's Cathedral

The seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, located in the suburb of Gurunagar.

H

Jaffna Grand Mosque

A historic Muslim place of worship serving the local community in Jaffna.

I

Thirumarai Kalaamandra Arangkam (Centre for Performing Arts)

J

Muniyappar Temple

A local Hindu temple and place of worship located in Jaffna.