Delft Island fort
Delft Island Fort | |
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Neduntheevu, Sri Lanka | |
Coordinates | 9°32′27″N 79°40′40″E / 9.540736°N 79.677769°E |
Type | Defence fort |
Site information | |
Condition | Ruins |
Site history | |
Built by | Portuguese |
Materials | Limestone and coral |
Delft Island Fort (also known as Neduntheevu fort and "Meekaman / Meegaaman fort"; Tamil: நெடுந்தீவுக் கோட்டை, romanized: Neṭuntīvuk Kōṭṭai; Sinhala: ඩෙල්ෆ් බලකොටුව, romanized: Delf Balakotuwa) was built by the Portuguese on the island of Neduntheevu in the Palk Strait in northern Sri Lanka. Later, it was taken over by Dutch, who built a barrack nearby. The island was known to the Portuguese as Ilha das Vacas ("Island of the Cows"), was renamed by the Dutch as Delft Island.[1][2]
The fort was constructed out of limestone and coral.[3] Though now in ruins, Ralph Henry Bassett describes the fort as a "very strongly fortified fort" in his book Romantic Ceylon: Its History, Legend, and Story.[3]
References
- ^ "Delft Island Fort". Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Serenity pervades Delft Island". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ a b "Scenic beauty and historical significance of Delft Island". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- Nelson, W. A.; de Silva, R. K. (2004). The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka – The Military Monuments of Ceylon. Sri Lanka Netherlands Association.