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Historic Forts and Monuments

This collection features the colonial heritage of Galle, centered around the 16th-century fort. Originally established by the Portuguese and later fortified by the Dutch, the area showcases a unique blend of European architecture and South Asian traditions. The list includes the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the 18th-century Dutch Reformed Church with its historic gravestones, and the Flag Rock Bastion. It also features the Tsunami Monument in Peraliya, which commemorates the victims of the 2004 disaster.

A

Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications

Originally built by the Portuguese in 1588 and extensively fortified by the Dutch from 1649 onwards. The site preserves an 18th-century urban layout within its ramparts, showcasing a fusion of European architectural styles and South Asian traditions.

Orest Helysh / CC-BY-SA

B

Fortress

Massive defensive ramparts and bastions surrounding the historic town, primarily constructed during the Dutch colonial period to protect the strategic harbor.

Simona Pecková / CC-BY-SA

C

Dutch Reformed Church (1755)

Built in 1755 on the site of a former Portuguese convent, this church features a floor paved with Dutch-era gravestones and a Baroque-style pulpit.

D

Flag Rock Bastion

A former Dutch signaling station at the southernmost end of Galle Fort, historically used to warn incoming ships of dangerous underwater rocks.

Ray / CC-BY-SA

E

Tsunami Monument

A 15-meter tall Buddha statue in Peraliya, modeled after the Bamiyan Buddha. It commemorates the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami near the site of the Peraliya train disaster.