Southern Province

Culture and history in Southern Province

Explore the historical landscape of Southern Sri Lanka, from the colonial architecture of Galle Fort to the ancient Buddhist sites of the Ruhuna Kingdom. This collection features the 18th-century Dutch Reformed Church and the 1939 lighthouse within the Galle UNESCO site. Further east, the list highlights centuries-old archaeological ruins like Yatala Vehera and the stone-built Galgane Devalaya. It also includes the poignant Tsunami Monument in Peraliya, a replica of the Bamiyan Buddha dedicated to victims of the 2004 disaster.

Culture & History — Map

PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ / GFDL

A

Galle Fort Lighthouse

A 26-meter white lighthouse built in 1939 on the Point Utrecht Bastion. It stands within the UNESCO World Heritage site, replacing a 19th-century structure destroyed by fire.

Simona Pecková / CC-BY-SA

B

Dutch Reformed Church (1755)

Constructed in 1755 on the site of a Portuguese convent, this church features a floor paved with gravestones from the old Dutch cemetery and a Baroque-style pulpit.

C

National Museum of Galle

The National Museum of Galle is one of the national museums of Sri Lanka.

D

Tsunami Monument

A 15-meter tall standing Buddha statue in Peraliya, built as a replica of the Bamiyan Buddha. It commemorates the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

E

Yatala Vehera

A 3rd-century BC stupa built by King Yatala Tissa. The site includes a surrounding moat, a wall decorated with elephant heads, and an onsite museum for recovered artifacts.

F

Galgane Devalaya

A 13th-century stone temple dedicated to Vishnu, built during the Dambadeniya period. It is constructed entirely of stone slabs, showcasing early medieval architectural techniques.

G

Vilpita Rajamaha Viharaya

An ancient Buddhist temple complex with royal patronage, featuring traditional monastic ruins and religious structures.

H

Silapassa Pirivena Archaeological Site

Ruins of an ancient monastic educational center near Tissamaharama, featuring stone pillars and foundations dating back to the Kingdom of Ruhuna.

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