FORT JAFFNA

It occupies an area of 22 ha and is one of the most fortified in Asia. Before it was ravaged by war, it housed a beautiful Dutch Reformed church (Groote Kerk), also in ruins.

Built in 1619 by the Portuguese on the edge of the lagoon, this fort is the second most important on the island. When Colombo was taken by the Dutch, it was here that the last Portuguese took refuge. The fort nevertheless fell on June 24, 1658, after a three and a half month siege. The fortress was reoccupied by the Dutch and underwent several successive phases of development, including the construction of the inner pentagon. The inscription 'Anno 1680' engraved above the main entrance indicates the year in which the Dutch began their reconstruction. The work lasted until 1792. On 28 September 1795, Jaffna came under the control of the British. The first operations to overthrow the Dutch began on 18 August 1795 with the capture of Trincomalee, followed by Batticaloa, Point Pedro, Jaffna and Mannar. However, 1796 is recorded as the historic year in which the British took possession of the island. The fort remained in its original state until the 1970s, despite its continued use by the British and then the Ceylon government. During the civil war, the fort changed hands several times. It was occupied by the LTTE from 1986 to 1995 and then taken over by the army in 1995, after a 50-day siege. In the end, a large part of the fortress was destroyed