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| Jaffna Fort | |
|---|---|
| Part ofJaffna | |
| Jaffna,Sri Lanka | |
.jpg) 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″N80°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 | GraniteStones |
| Battles/wars | Many |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Administration of Sri Lanka |
Jaffna Fort (Tamil:யாழ்ப்பாணக் கோட்டை,romanized: Yāḻppāṇak Kōṭṭai;Sinhala:යාපනය බලකොටුවYapanaya Balakotuwa) is afort built by thePortuguese atJaffna,Sri Lanka, in 1618 underPhillippe de Oliveira following thePortuguese invasion of Jaffna. The fort is located near the coastal village ofGurunagar. Owing to numerous miracles attributed to the statue of theVirgin 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 underRijcklof 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 theCeylon Army.[1]
With the onset of theSri 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 theLiberation 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 theSri Lanka Armyin 1995 after a 50-day siege duringOperation 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]
| Ancient Forts | _fort.jpg)  | |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial Forts | ||
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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