Portuguese Colonial Remains in Sri lankaFriday, 25 September 2009 08:05

Seventeenth-Century Portuguese Manuscript Map of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). This manuscript mapis found in a volume of drawings of cities, ports, and other sites made during the briefPortuguese occupation of Ceylon from 1597 to 1658. The work is thought to have been donearound 1650. (Geography and Map Division)

Portuguese Creole language, Eurasian community (Portuguese Burghers), Portuguesesurnames (Perera, Silva, Pieris) and Portuguse personal names (Pransisku=Francisco,Peduru=Pedro, Juvan=Joao), Religion (Roman Catholicism), Music (baila), Portuguese titles(Sinno, Dona, Don), dresses, food.

Batticaloa: Fort (1628). Galle: the Portuguese were the first to build a circular fort around the city. The Dutch rebuilt it(and it saved the city from the 2004 tsunami!). From the present structure, the Zwart Bastion(Black Bastion, in the N.E point, inside the military compound, off limits to civilians) is thought tobe Portuguese built and is the oldest of the Fort Bastions.

Jaffna: The small Dutch church in the centre the fort was destroyed during the civil war. Thefort itself is left intact (occupied by military, off limits).Kalpitya (50 kms from Puttalam, West Sri Lanka, on the peninsula opposite to it): aPortuguese church in very good condition near the market with a few Dutch and Englishtombstones in its floor. Adjacent is a small European cemetery. Nearby lies a square fort inexcellent condition, overlooking the seashore (occupied by the military and therefore off limits).It was used by the Dutch, but possibly is of Portuguese origin. In the middle of theabovementioned peninsula, in Talawila is the Church of Saint Ann was originally built by thePortuguese in the 16th century. The present day church was built in late 19th century and has astatue of Jesus and a wooden crucifix both from Portugal. It is an important pilgrimage site andgreat festivals are held in March and July.

Mannar Island: A star shaped Portuguese-Dutch fort (occupied by military, off limits).Negombo: The Dutch fort of Negombo is practically a reduction of the much greaterPortuguese fort that existed in the same area. Today only the main gate and a (much younger)Clock Tower remain. Ratnapura: Portuguese Stone Slab, Church.Sellankandal: (10 km inland from Puttalam) A Portuguese regiment of soldiers fromMozambique settled in the village of Sellankandal sometime in the 17th century. As late as the1930s villagers spoke a Portuguese dialect. Today people of mixed african decent live in thearea.

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Portuguese Colonial Remains in Sri lankaFriday, 25 September 2009 08:05

Trincomale: Fort (1624).

*Velani (Kayts Islands): ruins of a Fort.

*Delft Island: ruins of a Fort.*Jaffna: Fort (1560). Demolished ? in 1994 during the war.

*Chankanai (Jaffna Peninsula): ruins of a Portuguese Church (1641).*Myliddi (Jaffna Peninsula): ruins of a Portuguese Church. *Vaddukoddai (Jaffna Peninsula): ruins of a Portuguese Church. *Atchuveli (Jaffna Peninsula): ruins of Portuguese Church.

*Karisal (Mannar): ruins of a Portuguese Church.

* Destroyed monuments.

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