Menikkadawara Fort
Menikkadawara Fort (Sinhala: මැනික්කඩවර බලකොටුව; Tamil: மெனிக்கடவரைக் கோட்டைை) is an ancient fort situated in Menikkadawara village in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka (Mandawala, 2012).
. History The fort was built at Menikkadawara between Sath Korale and Sathara Korale as a two-storied construction during the reign of King Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592-1627 A.D.) by Portuguese Commander Jeranimodha Asawedu in 1598 using clay, granite and bricks (Bell, 1904). It is said that the construction of the fortress was entrusted by Asawedu to a Portuguese named Salvador Pereira De Silva. The main purpose of building the fort was to fight against the Kingdom of Kandy. The fort was destroyed within 30 years due to the clashes that occurred several times between the Portuguese and Sinhalese (Bell, 1904). In 1627, the fortress was renovated under the supervision of the Portuguese Governor, Constantino de Sá de Noronha (Bell, 1904). However, it was abandoned by the Portuguese around 1642 (Bell, 1904). The…