Tangalle Fort (Sinhala: තංගල්ල බලකොටුව; Tamil: தங்காலைக் கோட்டை) is a small Dutch fort situated near the Christ Church in Tangalle in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka.
History
The fort was built by the Dutch on the site of an earlier fort erected by the Portuguese (Abeyawardana, 2004). It was heavily modified by the British in the middle of the 19th century when it was converted into a prison.
The Fort
The fort which is rectangular in shape (110 x 90 ft.) has been constructed on an elevated site to have a panoramic view of the sea and the land (Abeyawardana, 2004). The walls are 3 ft. 6 inches thick and built of coral stones (Abeyawardana, 2004). It consists of two bastions.
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Ruhuna: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. ISBN: 955-575-073-4. p.97.
