Jaffna Fort

Jaffna Fort

Until it was ravaged by the former civil war, the Jaffna Fort was the best preserved fort in Sri Lanka and contained a fine Reformed Dutch Church, which is now also in ruins. After the siege of 1658 which endured for three and a half months, the Dutch demolished the damaged and out of date square fort of the Portuguese and in its place built their ideal fortress. First they built the inner pentagon, and the main gate here bears the date of 1680 and then in the following century enclosed it in a wider fortification of the same shape.

 This shape is not as obvious as three of the branches are not built because of the vicinity of the sea on these sides. The fort’s black coral-lined walls, ramparts and battlements stand high on the grass covered mound and are surrounded by a moat. It covers an area of 22 hectares, a beautiful setting and rightfully qualified as a Citadel (i.e. a large, independent, garrisoned, administrative and military centre without civil inhabitants). The gate in the outer fortification bears the date of completion, 1792. On the 28th of September 1795, only three years after its completion, the fort surrendered to the British without firing a shot.

The strength of this fort was then never actually tested by an attack until recently when the power of modern day weapons proved its undoing. There are many similar fortifications around the Indian Ocean but none had attained such technical perfection as Jaffna. Unfortunately due to the civil strife within this region the fort is now in ruins and its former glory, until one-day restored, can only be imagined.

Warning: we first visited the fort mid 2002 without any problem and went, all of us, inside with the car. Few soldiers were there and we could walk around freely.

For our last visit almost a year later the place had been sealed by the Armed Forces with barbed wire, barriers, etc. The sentry even told us we couldn’t enter because of mines (laid since in the garrison premises).

We just hope now that this fort will be given back to the public soon to enjoy what remains and won’t be used any more as a military or police premise which has already caused its destruction.

Coming by road to Jaffna keep driving on the main road, called Main Street within the town and you will easily find this central feature of Jaffna . It lies in front of you just behind the stadium, the Cheluanayagam Tower and the Library being on your right. Take the road on the left to go to the entrance.