After the disastrous 30-year civil war, Sri Lanka is now open fully for tourists to relish its unbelievable beauty. The Northern coast of the country was one place that was severely hit by the war, and the destination that we discuss in this article is situated in the same region; The Jaffna fort Sri Lanka. Let’s dig deep and see what you can expect here and why you should include Jaffna fort in your next Sri Lanka trip.
This historical architecture is a creation of Portuguese, and its history runs back to 1625. It is also called the “fortress of our lady of miracles of Jafanapatao,” and the name comes from a nearby church which is built for Virgin Mary.
It’s not only the Portuguese who had control over this fort. In 1658, after the Portuguese lost the battle to Dutch, the fort went through renovations and new additions. The same thing happened when the English invaded the Dutch, and they had control of the Jaffna fort till 1948.
However, things went horribly wrong for the country as well as Jaffna fort after the start of the civil war, and it was under the helm of LTTE (Tamil Tigers) for nearly thirty years until 2009. Once the civil war ended, things gradually came back to normal, and the Sri Lankan government had to put hard yards to restore the glorious old outlook of the Jaffna fort.
Currently, it is open for tourists, and the small coastal village of Gurunagar in Jaffna is the home of this intriguing piece of historical architecture.
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Why You Should Visit Jaffna Fort Sri Lanka?
Simply put, the Jaffna Fort and its surroundings remind the colonial history of Sri Lanka, and it is considered one of the oldest monumental colonial constructions in the country; the Jaffna fort has a proud history of 400 years.
This amazing fort in Jaffna kind of overlooks the lagoon in the area and takes its visitors to the maritime history of the northern part of the country as well. However, it must be mentioned that a part of the fort had gone through extensive work, particularly at the conclusion of the war, even though that has little to do with its overall majestic look.
Moreover, during the Dutch time, the fort has experienced a considerable amount of changes to the original Portuguese constructions. Because of these renovations, the Jaffna fort Sri Lanka is known as one of the prominent forts in Asia built by the Dutch.
All in all, as we said, the primary objective of visiting Jaffna Fort is to relish the colonial past of Sri Lanka; you are guaranteed to take your soul through all the years back!
What to do in and around Jaffna Fort?
If you are planning to visit Jaffna Fort, we suggest you include the following places to your list of destinations in order to make your visit a memorable one. Most of these places are barely touched by the tourists because of the 30-year civil war, which says you are entitled to experience some unique activities while you are in the region.
Nallur Kovil
Tamils are the majority of the Northern part of Sri Lanka, and most of them carry Southern Indian origins. This explains the culture around the area is a little bit different from the other parts of the country. One of the famous Tamil architectures is Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, situated at the heart of Jaffna town.
This mind-blowing kovil was built in 948 AD, and it is one place that has survived the unforgiving war because it is considered the most sacred place of the Tamil people in the area. There are certain festivals happening in Nallur Kovil, and they are terrifically colorful for tourists to watch.
Nainativu Island
Visiting Nainativu Island is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Jaffna. Visiting the island itself brings a unique experience, but you just can’t ignore the joy of the boat ride on the way to the island. If Nainativu Island is in your plans, make sure you bring enough food and water for the trip, as finding shops on the island might not be the easiest thing in the world.
The Delft is another nearby Island, and you can observe wild horses on that island which is definitely a surprising thing to see given the country barely has horses in it.
Jaffna Library
The public library of Jaffna is one thing that you should not miss as it is well equipped with astonishing ancient architecture. It is another destination in the middle of Jaffna city, and the damaging civil war has started because of an incident that happened in this place.
There is a clock tower close to the Jaffna library built by the British, which is still in its majestic state, even it is older than hundred years. The surroundings of the area are pretty much calm and contain a bucketful of other places to grab your attention in no time.
Ruins of civil war
Although it is not the prettiest sight in the world, there are still ruins of the catastrophic 30-year civil war. Governments after 2009 have done a magnificent job in rebuilding the area and wiping off the unfortunate memories from the hearts of the civilians. However, there are certain places available in the area which are deliberately kept for tourists to observe.
Conclusion
Alright, we hope now you have ample reasons to visit Jaffna fort Sri Lanka and Jaffna town itself on your next trip to Sri Lanka. We want you to allocate at least two days to relish the beauty of the destination to the fullest and make sure you involve a local guide during your visits to these places as there are loads of things to learn, particularly about the history and war of the area. If you need more details, please drop a comment below. We will respond to it within minutes; have a great day!
