Fort Jaffna

Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

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Jaffna Fort is one of the largest and best‑preserved colonial forts in Sri Lanka, located on a small rocky promontory at the edge of the Jaffna Lagoon in the heart of Jaffna town, close to the coastal village of Gurunagar.

It was originally built by the Portuguese between 1618 and 1625, called “Fortress of Our Lady of Miracles of Jafanapatão,” and served as their main stronghold in the Jaffna Kingdom, holding off several local rebellions. In 1658 the Dutch captured the fort, rebuilt and expanded it, adding triangular bastions to create its distinctive pentagonal shape, and used it as a base to consolidate Dutch power in northern Sri Lanka.

The British took control in 1795 without fighting, and the fort remained a British garrison until 1948, when it became part of the Ceylon Army and later the Sri Lanka Army. During the Sri Lankan civil war, Fort Jaffna was repeatedly besieged and damaged, especially in 1990 when it was overrun by the LTTE, and between 1991 and 1995 it was under rebel control before being recaptured by the Sri Lanka Army in a 50‑day siege during Operation Riviresa in 1995.

After the war ended in 2009, a large‑scale restoration project began, supported financially by the Dutch government, to repair the coral, stone and brick walls, ramparts and moats while preserving the fort as a cultural and historical site. Today, Jaffna Fort is open to visitors without an entrance fee; tourists can walk along the massive ramparts, visit the gateways and moats, explore former barracks and see exhibits about the fort’s long history, and climb to the walls for panoramic views of the lagoon and the city.