Galle Fort 2

  The Ramparts and the Bastions
 The most wonderful feature about the Fort is its walls and Bastions. The walls are called ‘Ramparts’ by the locals and a walk along them is considered a favourite pastime. The ramparts are built mostly of grey granite
rock that came to Galle as ballast. The three main bastions are the Sun, Moon and Star bastions facing
the Esplanade and the Galle International Cricket Grounds.

They used to be protected by a rather deep moat which was said to be about 18 feet wide. A small draw bridge spanned the moat by the harbour road, below the ramparts. During the time of the Dutch,

 The main guard was usuauy stationed on the Sun Bastion which is at the harbour end of the rarnpart. The Moon Bastion, which is at the centre of the three, is the strongest and highest bastion. It had an underground, tunnel connecting it with the Star Bastion at the open sea end. On the seafront it
has a protective wall of the same height as the bastion. The Star Bastion, during the British rule, was the famous location for duels. The last duel fought was on 'l'7“’ November 1810, when Captain James Brown was shot dead by Captain John Parker (unfortunately, the records don’t indicate what the duel was all about).




The Galle Library

  Is located along Church Street, flanked by the Dutch Reformed Church and facing the Dutch belfry. Built in 1832 and established as a library in 1871, it is perhaps one of the oldest surviving libraries in Sri Lanka. The library contains many valuable reference books such as the Conquest of Ceylon by F de Oueyroz. It is thought to have been an old Portuguese building, though now it appears almost as an extension to the present Post Office.

                        The Dutch Reformed Church

  The church was originally built in 1640, but the present building dates from 1752-1755. Its floor is paved with gravestones from the old Dutch cemetery, and on its walls are elaborate remembrance plaques. The
Cornrnandant Abraham Samlandt tablet is perhaps the most elaborate of its kind in the island, and is found on the left as you enter the church.The wonderful organ from 1760. the stained glass windows and the calarnanoler-wood raised pulpit should engage your attention, as should tales of the vaults and what lies beneath the stone gravestones as told by the friendly caretaker.

                       The Clock Tower

The Clock Tower, standing on the Moon Bastion, is one of the best loved features of the Fort and certainly one of the most recognisable icons of Galle. It was built in 1881 in memory of Dr Pieter Daniel Antonisz, an eminent surgeon and Chairman of the Galle Municipal Council. He became the first President of the British Medical Association branch in Ceylon. It was erected during his lifetime by grateful patients, among them the

Maha-Mudaliyar Samson D’Abrew Rajapakse of Kosgoda, who donated the clock itself. lt continues to stand in stately grandeur, looking out over the bustling city of Galle.