Close to the coastal village of Gurunagar, Jaffna is where you’ll find Jaffna Fort, an intriguing piece of architecture originally built by the Portuguese between 1618 and 1625. While under Portuguese occupation, the fort was called ‘Fortress of Our Lady of Miracles of Jafanapatão’, a name derived from the neighbouring church dedicated to Virgin Mary.
In 1658, the Dutch took hold of the fort, and the Portuguese lost their last stronghold in Sri Lanka. The Dutch went on to expand the fort, but again, the fort swapped hands in 1795, when the British invaded and drove out the Dutch. The fort remained a British garrison up until 1948. Jaffna Fort is one of Sri Lanka’s last well-preserved colonial ramparts.
