Jaffna Fort

Fort

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Jaffna Fort

Part of Jaffna
Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Entrance of Jaffna Fort that was originally built by the Portuguese and renovated by the Dutch in 1680

Site information
Type| Defense fort
Controlled by| Government of Sri Lanka
Open to
the public| Yes
Condition| Renovated
Location

Jaffna Fort

Location in central Jaffna

Coordinates| 9°39′43.648″N 80°0′29.89″E﻿ / ﻿9.66212444°N 80.0083028°E﻿ / 9.66212444; 80.0083028
Site history
Built| 1618 - 1625
Built by| Portuguese
In use| 1625 –
Materials| Granite Stones
Battles/wars| Many
Garrison information
Occupants| Administration of Sri Lanka

Jaffna Fort (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணக் கோட்டை, romanized: Yāḻppāṇak Kōṭṭai; Sinhala: යාපනය බලකොටුව Yapanaya Balakotuwa) is a fort built by the Portuguese at Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in 1618 under Phillippe de Oliveira following the Portuguese invasion of Jaffna. The fort is located near the coastal village of Gurunagar. Owing to numerous miracles attributed to the statue of the Virgin Mary in the church nearby, the fort was named as Fortress of Our Lady of Miracles of Jafanapatão (Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora dos Milagres de Jafanapatão). It was captured by the Dutch under Rijcklof van Goens in 1658, who expanded the structure. In 1795, it was taken over by the British, and remained under the control of a British garrison until 1948. As the only large military fort in the country, because of the presence of only government and military buildings within its ramparts, it was garrisoned by a detachment of the Ceylon Army.[1]

Map of the fort from 1693

With the onset of the Sri Lankan Civil War, it came under siege on several occasions and was the scene of pitched battles. From 1985 to 1995 it was under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE); during this time the LTTE destroyed several key features of the fort to stop the Army from gaining control due to the site being used to stage attacks, but it was recaptured by the Sri Lanka Army in 1995 after a 50-day siege during Operation Riviresa. It was also vandalised by locals to rebuild houses damaged from the war. Today it remains garrisoned by a detachment of the Sri Lanka Army with limited access to visitors and is being renovated with Dutch funding.[2]

Buildings inside the fort include the governor's residence (King's House), Queen's House, Kruys Church, the Garrison Parade Ground, Police quarters and several buildings from the Portuguese era.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Jaffna Fort". The Hindu. 28 September 2020.
2. ^ "Sri Lanka fort: Out of the rubble". gulfnews.com. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
3. ^ "Travel to Jaffna". The Hindu. 11 November 2019.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jaffna fort.

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Forts of Sri Lanka

Ancient Forts|

* Balana fort
* Mapagala fortress
* Sigiriya
* Sitawaka fort
* Vijithapura
* Yapahuwa

Colonial Forts|

| Portuguese Forts|

* Arandora fort
* Arippu fort
* Batticaloa fort
* Colombo fort
* Delft Island fort
* Fort Fredrick
* Fort Hammenheil
* Galle Fort
* Haldummulla fort†
* Hanwella fort
* Jaffna fort
* Kalutara fort
* Kayts Island fort†
* Kotugodella fort†
* Malwana fort†
* Mannar fort
* Matara fort
* Menikkadawara fort†
* Negombo fort
* Pooneryn fort
* Ratnapura Portuguese fort†
* Ruwanwella fort

|

Dutch Forts|

* Elephant Pass fort
* Fort Beschutter
* Fort Ostenburg
* Fort Pyl
* Kalpitiya fort
* Kankesanthurai fort
* Katuwana fort
* Koddiyar fort
* Mullaitivu fort
* Point Pedro fort
* Ratnapura Dutch fort
* Star fort
* Tangalle fort

British Forts|

* Fort MacDowall
* Martello tower

Less or no contribution/renovation works of Dutch are marked by † symbol under "Portuguese Forts", and others are considered as Dutch forts too.

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Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese Empire

Africa|

| North Africa|

* Ceuta (Spain)
* Alcácer Ceguer (Morocco)
* Arzila (Morocco)
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* Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Morocco)
* Castelo Real (Morocco)
* Safim (Morocco)
* Azamor (Morocco)
* Aguz (Morocco)
* Arguin Fort (Mauritania)

|

Gold Coast|

* Santiago (Ghana)
* Santo António (Ghana)
* São Francisco Xavier (Ghana)
* São João Baptista (Benin)
* São Jorge (Ghana)
* São Sebastião (Ghana)

São Tomé and
Príncipe|

* Santo António
* São Jerónimo
* São Sebastião

Cape Verde|

* D'El-Rei
* Duque de Bragança
* Principe Real
* São Filipe
* São José

Guinea-Bissau|

* Cacheu Fort
* São José

Angola|

* Ambaca Fort
* Caconda Fort
* Cambambe Fort
* Muxima Fort
* Nossa Senhora da Vitória
* Santa Maria
* São Fernando
* São Filipe
* São Francisco do Penedo
* São José
* São Miguel
* São Pedro da Barra
* Quicombo Fort

East Africa|

* Jesus (Kenya)
* Santiago (Tanzania)

| Mozambique|

* Manica Fort
* Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Inhambane
* Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Lourenço Marques
* Princesa Amélia
* Santo António
* São Caetano
* São João Baptista
* São José de Mossuril
* São José do Ibo
* São Lourenço
* São Marçal
* São Miguel
* São Sebastião
* São Tiago Maior
* Quelimane Fort

|

America|

| Brazil|

* Coimbra
* Garcia d'Ávila
* Nossa Senhora do Monserrate
* Nossa Senhora da Assunção
* Nossa Senhora da Conceição
* Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres
* Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
* Presépio
* Príncipe da Beira
* Reis Magos
* Santa Cruz da Barra
* Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim
* Santa Cruz de Itamaracá
* Santa Cruz do Paraguaçu
* São João
* São José da Ponta Grossa
* São José de Macapá
* Santa Catarina
* Santa Maria
* Santo Antônio Além do Carmo
* Santo Antônio da Barra
* Santo Antônio do Gurupá
* Santo Inácio de Tamandaré
* São Diogo
* São Domingos de Gragoatá
* São João Baptista do Brum
* São João da Bertioga
* São Lourenço
* São Luís
* São Marcelo
* São Mateus do Cabo Frio
* São Paulo da Gamboa
* São Tiago das Cinco Pontas

|

Uruguay|

* Colónia do Sacramento
* Montevideo Fort
* Santa Teresa
* São Miguel

Asia|

| Arabia & Iran|

* Almirante (Oman)
* Bahrain Fort (Bahrain)
* Gombroon Fort (Iran)
* Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Iran)
* Qeshm Fort (Iran)
* São João (Oman)
* São Miguel (Yemen)

|

India|

* Arnala Fort
* Asheri Fort
* Bandra Fort
* Belapur Fort
* Bombay Castle
* Chaul
* Daman
* Dronagiri Fort
* Ghodbunder Fort
* Honavar Fort
* Korlai Fort
* Madh Fort
* Mahim Fort
* Manuel
* Negapatam
* Santa Luzia
* Santo Ângelo
* Santo António de Simbor
* São Jerónimo
* São Miguel
* São Tomé de Cranganor
* São Tomé de Diu
* São Tomé de Coulão
* São Tomé de Meliapor
* São Sebastião de Baçaim
* São Sebastião de Mangalor
* Shirgaon Fort
* Pallipuram Fort

| Goa|

* Aguada Fort
* Assunção
* Cabo de Rama Fort
* Gaspar Dias
* Mormugão fort
* Naroa Fort
* Nossa Senhora do Cabo
* Ponda Fort
* Reis Magos
* Santo Estevão
* São Bartolomeu
* São Brás
* São João
* São Sebastião
* São Tiago
* Santa Cruz
* Santíssima Trindade
* Santo António

|

Sri Lanka|

* Santa Bárbara
* São Jorge
* Santa Cruz
* Santa Helena
* Matara Fort
* Santa Fé
* Nossa Senhora dos Milagres
* Nossa Senhora da Penha de França
* Nossa Senhora da Guadalupe
* Kalutara fort
* Kayts Island Fort
* Ratnapura Fort
* Negombo fort
* Arandora fort
* Arippu fort
* Delft Island fort
* Ruwanwella fort
* Sitawaka fort
* Sabaragamuwa fort

Myanmar|

* Santiago

Malaysia|

* Malacca
* Muar Fort

Indonesia|

* Nossa Senhora da Anunciada
* Nossa Senhora da Piedade
* Pasai Fort
* Reis Magos
* São Domingos
* São João Baptista

Timor-Leste|

* Balibó Fort
* Batugade Fort
* Cupão Fort
* Nossa Senhora da Conceição
* Santo António

Macau|

* Dona Maria II
* Mong-Há
* Nossa Senhora do Monte
* Nossa Senhora da Guia
* Nossa Senhora do Bom Parto
* São Francisco
* São Tiago da Barra
* Taipa Fort

Portuguese name in italics and geographical location (between parenthesis)

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