Situated nearly 100 km away from the Sri Lanka capital city Colombo, Galle is a seaside town known for its fortifications and colonial buildings.
Galle came into prominence following its capture by the Portuguese in the 15th Century from the Sinhala kings. Soon after, the Portuguese erected the first fortification in the city which was a single wall fronted by a moat which extended from the sea to the harbour.
While the Portuguese were the first colonial power to capture Galle, they were soon defeated by the Dutch, who captured the fort after a four-day siege.
It was under the Dutch rule that Galle witnessed the height of its development. The Dutch heavily fortified the city in their architectural style. They built a rampart around the city with a double wall. The Dutch added close to ten bastions all over the fort which went on till about the early 18th Century.
The Dutch established public administration buildings, warehouses and residential quarters among others inside the fort.
The British took over the fort from the Dutch in 1796, after they captured Colombo. And Sri Lanka remained a British colony till it received its independence in 1948. Galle lost its prominence during this period, as the British developed Colombo as their capital and main port.
Today, Galle is one of the best examples of a fortified city built by European in South and Southeast Asia.
The fort has withstood the test of time and survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that destroyed most of the town, including the famous Galle International Cricket Stadium.
Picture Credit : Google