The Matara Fort ( si, මාතර බලකොටුව ''Mathara Balakotuwa''; ta, மாத்தறைக் கோட்டை, translit=Māttaṟaik Kōṭṭai) was built in 1560 by the Portuguese and was substantially re-built by the Dutch in 1640, following the capture of Galle. The fort, which consists of a large stone
rampart, occupies the
promontory
A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...
, which separates the Niwala Ganga (River) lagoon and the ocean.
History

The Portuguese constructed the first fortifications in 1595,
with the assistance of
Don Juan Dharmapala, the ruler of the
Kingdom of Kotte
The Kingdom of Kotte ( si, කෝට්ටේ රාජධානිය, Kottay Rajadhaniya), named after its capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Kotte, was a Sinhala kingdom, Sinhalese kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th cent ...
.
In 1640 the
Dutch captured Matara from the Portuguese,
and in 1645 they were responsible for the construction of the current fortifications.
The fort consists of a long, thick, high rampart and the gateway constructed from local limestone, granite and coral.
The rampart originally had a ditch in front of it, two half
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
projections at each end and a larger projection in the centre close to the gate with a bridge across the ditch.
It was built to protect the administrative buildings of VOC (
Dutch East India Company), who were attracted by the deep and sheltered
estuary of the Nilwala Ganga, making
Matara an important centre for
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...
and
elephant trading.
During the 'Matara Rebellion' of 1761, the fort was captured by
Kirti Sri Rajasinha
Kirti Sri Rajasinha ( Sinhala: කීර්ති ශ්රී රාජසිංහ, Tamil: கீர்த்தி ஸ்ரீ ராஜசிங்கம்; 11 August 1747 – 2 January 1782) was the second Nayaka king of Kandy. He was ...
's
Kandyan army
that bombarded the town with cannonballs that went over the wall. After spiking their own cannon and destroying their ammunition and provisions, the
garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
was evacuated by two ships that were waiting at sea.
The Dutch recaptured the fort on 2 February 1762,
finding eight cannon on the walls, including an English one.
During the Dutch rule the District Secretary's house, the
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...
,
areca nut,
gunpowder storage and an elephant
kraal
Kraal (also spelled ''craal'' or ''kraul'') is an Afrikaans and Dutch word, also used in South African English, for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within a Southern African settlement or village surrounded by a fence of th ...
(containing four elephant stables, which could house up to 80 elephants and a tank where the elephants were washed)
were constructed within the fort. The oldest building within the fort is the
Dutch Reformatory Church, which is situated near the entrance. It was built by the Dutch in 1706
the date however etched above the entrance, 1767, refers to the reconstruction of the church by the Dutch following the Matara Rebellion.
The door and window panels are made of heavy wood while the walls now show signs of crumbling as the proper mixture to rebuild them could not be found within Sri Lanka. Inside are gravestones on the floor dating back to 1686, of significant community members and beneficiaries of their time.
On 24 February 1796 the Fort was handed over to the British by the Dutch. The southern bastion facing the sea was subsequently removed by the British, in order to grant access to the town along the ocean foreshore.
During the British occupation, the Courts Complex (including the Magistrate Court and the High Court), Rest House and the Matara Police Station were constructed within the fort area.
The majority of walawwas or mansions that belonged to Sri Lankan aristocratic families within the fort area are now utilised for other purposes, such as commercial offices, guesthouses and temples, while others have been let to fall into ruin.
In 1817 the British established a
mission school, today the
President's College.
In 1883 the British built a high clock tower atop the remaining rampart.
The rampart was declared a protected monument under the Antiquities Ordinance No 9 of 1940 section 33.
The gate and walls of the main fort were restored in 1985-86 by a Dutch firm, Ballast Nedam.
Matara fort is currently the administration centre for the entire
Matara District, with the offices of the
District Secretariat,
Divisional Secretariat
The districts of Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as ''divisional secretariats''. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the ''korale''s and ''rata''s. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after t ...
, Courts of Law and numerous other state offices.
See also
*
Forts of Sri Lanka
*
Matara, Sri Lanka
*
Star fort, Matara
The Star Fort ( si, මාතර තාරකා කොටුව ''Mathara Tharaka Kotuwa''; ta, விண்மீன் கோட்டை, translit=Viṇmīṉ Kōṭṭai) is a fort in Matara, Sri Lanka, located on the eastern bank of the Ni ...
References
{{Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese empire, state=collapsed
1560 establishments in the Portuguese Empire
British forts in Sri Lanka
Buildings and structures in Matara, Sri Lanka
Dutch forts in Sri Lanka
Forts in Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Infrastructure completed in 1595
Portuguese forts in Sri Lanka
Archaeological protected monuments in Matara District
Buildings and structures associated with the Dutch East India Company