Dutch Rule

 DUTCH FORT KATUWANA -MATARA

Built in year 1645. Dutch fort situated at the northern boundaries of Southern province in Katuwana. There are about 53 km from the Matara town and about 26 kms south of the Embilipitiya town.

An Archaeological conserved fort begun its excavation in second half of the 20th century. The fort has declared as an archaeological reserve in 1980, since then renovation work has being continued very slow as the national government funds are not enough to continue the excavation work. However, there were several conservation project proposals been prepared seeking funds for total conservation. In 2007 Netherland Government were agreed to fund for the conservation project in total.

Total conservation project were proposed to remove all Government buildings around the rampart and to clear entrance way to the fort. Destroyed entrance way has been conserved by engineers after careful examination of other Dutch forts in Sri Lanka and reconstructed the rampart where necessary including the interior of the fort.   After the completion of conservation the fort is now visible to the main road and the access way is clear to the fort.

Rampart is 20 feet high externally and 8 - 12 feet high internally as the central square is elevated  in tiers  for defence purpose. To complete the square structure of 150 feet a side has used boulder stone and lime mortar by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1645.

During the ''Matara Rebellion'' Katuwana fort was captured by the Kandyan forces in 1761 and partly destroyed by using cannons. This attack damaged the main entrance and the building inside. Since then fort become abandoned went ruin in jungle. Large trees has been grown and buildings inside destroyed. Fortunately no people occupied any part of the fort but land surrounding used by the local government to setup administrational buildings around.

By: Eranga Jayasinghe

Ref: Site inscriptions of Archaeology Department