Batticaloa fort

The Batticaloa Fort (மட்டக்களப்புக் கோட்டை; මඩකලපුව බලකොටුව) was built by the Portuguese in 1628 and was captured by the Dutch on 18 May 1638. From 1795, the fort was used by the British.

The fort has a structure of four bastions and is protected by the Batticaloa Lagoon on two sides and a canal on the other two sides. The fort is still in reasonable condition and currently houses several local administrative departments of the Sri Lanka government in new buildings, which are located within the old structure.

Timeline
Timeline of Batticaloa fort in colonial time.


 * 1622 – Construction began by Portuguese
 * 1628 – Construction completed
 * 1638 – Dutch captured
 * 1639 – Fort destroyed by Dutch
 * 1665 – Reconstruction started
 * 1682 – Renovation
 * 1707 – Front bastion and complex completed
 * 1766 – Ceded to Kandyan kingdom
 * 1796 – Captured by British