Colonial remnants in Sri Lanka include Dutch forts, canal and churches and British residences, clubs and courthouses. Galle is the finest colonial city on the island.

Colombo, Sri Lanka's bustling capital, is located on the country's west coast and with a population of between 800,00    Read more...

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0 and one million (estimates vary) is by far the country's biggest city, as well as its window on the world. Its natural harbour at the mouth of the Kelani River was a magnet for successive traders and conquerors - first Arab merchants, then Portuguese, Dutch and British imperialists.

GALLE, Sri Lanka - The first ‘Dutch’ city that made it onto the World Cultural Heritage List in 1988 is nowhere near the Netherlands, had not had Dutch rule for nearly two hundred years and was nominated by a third world country. The southern Sri Lankan harbour city of Galle, one of the ten largest towns of the island nation, still displays traces of 140 years of Dutch presence.

Once Dutch traders replaced the Portugese on the island in 1658, the East Indies Company (VOC) proceeded to strenghten its new Indian Ocean stronghold on the route to the Dutch East Indies. The wooden fortifications were upgraded, and where possible replaced by masonry. The harbour soon was its second largest stop-over in Southeast Asia (Batavia remained the largest). Galle became the Dutch administrative centre for the island then known as Ceylon. Colombo, further north toward the Indian coast, took over that function in the course of the 18th century.

Among the remnants of Dutch rule are Galle’s three forts: Zwarte Bastion, Akersloot Bastion and Punt Utrecht Bastion (they still carry Dutch names). The street leading to one of the VOC forts, is known by its Anglicized name of Leynbaan Street. Also the Groote Kerk or Dutch church, built in 1755, is a reminder of the Dutch presence. The local architect who has taken an interest in the ties with the Netherlands could fit his family name right in a Dutch telephone book: De Vos.

Going back to the colonial era offer opportunities to renew long neglected relationships; forgotten monuments could be the clearest reminders of such histories and Sri Lanka has plenty of them.

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