9°42′03″N 79°51′07″E / 9.700808°N 79.852035°E / 9.700808; 79.852035Type | Defence fort |
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Site information |
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Condition | Ruins |
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Site history |
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Built | 1629 |
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Built by | Portuguese |
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Materials | Granite Stones and coral |
The Kayts Island Fort (Tamil: ஊர்காவற்றுறைக் கோட்டை, romanized: Ūrkāvaṟṟuṟaik Kōṭṭai; Sinhala: කයිට්ස් දූපත් බලකොටුව Kayits Dupath Balakotuwa) was built by the Portuguese in 1629 and was abandoned in 1651. In the late 1600s, Dutch controlled the fort when they took over the Kayts island.[1] During the Dutch rule, it was not normal to undergo restoration like the former forts of Portugal.[2]
The horseshoe shaped fort with four circular bastions was built to protect Jaffna Peninsula like other Portuguese forts in the peninsula. There was one of the primary commercial ports called “Urundai” beside the fort.[1] Therefore, the fort was known as “Urundai Fort”. The Tamil word “Urundai” literally means sphere or round-shape.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Kayts Island Fort". Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "Dutch and Portuguese remains in Sri Lanka". Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ The Great Lifco Dictionary: English-English-Tamil. Little Flower Co. 2001. p. 1447. ISBN 8187130008.
- Nelson, W. A.; de Silva, R. K. (2004). The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka – The Military Monuments of Ceylon. Sri Lanka Netherlands Association.
External links
- Portuguese Forts in Sri Lanka
Ancient Forts | - Balana fort
- Mapagala fortress
- Sigiriya
- Sitawaka fort
- Vijithapura
- Yapahuwa
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Colonial Forts | Portuguese Forts | |
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Dutch Forts | |
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British Forts | |
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Less or no contribution/renovation works of Dutch are marked by † symbol under "Portuguese Forts", and others are considered as Dutch forts too. |
Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese Empire |
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Africa | North Africa | |
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Gold Coast | - Santiago (Ghana)
- Santo António (Ghana)
- São Francisco Xavier (Ghana)
- São João Baptista (Benin)
- São Jorge (Ghana)
- São Sebastião (Ghana)
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São Tomé and Príncipe | - Santo António
- São Jerónimo
- São Sebastião
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Cape Verde | - D'El-Rei
- Duque de Bragança
- Principe Real
- São Filipe
- São José
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Guinea-Bissau | |
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Angola | |
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East Africa | - Jesus (Kenya)
- Santiago (Tanzania)
Mozambique | - Manica Fort
- Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Inhambane
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- Princesa Amélia
- Santo António
- São Caetano
- São João Baptista
- São José de Mossuril
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- Quelimane Fort
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America | Brazil | - Nossa Senhora do Monserrate
- Nossa Senhora da Assunção
- Nossa Senhora da Conceição
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- Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
- Presépio
- Príncipe da Beira
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- Santa Cruz da Barra
- Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim
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- Santa Cruz do Paraguaçu
- São João
- São José da Ponta Grossa
- São José de Macapá
- Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
- Santa Catarina
- Santa Maria
- Santo António Além do Carmo
- Santo António da Barra
- Santo Inácio de Tamandaré
- São Diogo
- São Domingos de Gragoatá
- São João Baptista do Brum
- São João da Bertioga
- São Lourenço
- São Luís
- São Marcelo
- São Mateus do Cabo Frio
- São Tiago das Cinco Pontas
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Uruguay | |
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Asia | |
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Portuguese name in italics and geographical location (between parenthesis) |