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doned cities – the modern towns are divorced
from the ancient ruins. In contrast, both old
and new Galle have remained vibrant.
Some historians believe Galle may have
been the city of Tarshish – where King Sol-
omon obtained gems and spices – though
many more argue that a port in Spain seems
a more likely candidate. Either way, Galle only
became prominent with the arrival of the Eu-
ropeans. In 1505 a Portuguese fleet bound for
the Maldives was blown off course and took
shelter in the harbour. Apparently, on hearing
a cock (galo in Portuguese) crowing, they gave
the town its name. Another slightly less dubi-
ous story is that the name is derived from the
Sinhala word gala (rock).
In 1589, during one of their periodic squab-
bles with the kingdom of Kandy, the Portu-
guese built a small fort, which they named
Santa Cruz. Later they extended it with bas-
tions and walls, but the Dutch, who took
Galle in 1640, destroyed most traces of the
Portuguese presence. After the construction
of the Fort in the 17th century, Galle was the
main port for Sri Lanka for more than 200
years, and was an important stop for boats
and ships travelling between Europe and
Asia. However, by the time Galle passed into
British hands in 1796, commercial interest
was turning to Colombo. The construction of
breakwaters in Colombo’s harbour in the late
19th century sealed Galle’s status as a second-
ary harbour, though it still handles some ship-
ping and yachts.
The 2004 tsunami hit Galle’s new town
badly. In contrast, the solid walls of the Fort
helped limit damage in the old quarter. More
usefully, the Dutch love of good drainage
meant that the Fort area quickly drained
of floodwaters thanks to the still efficient
18th-century storm sewers.

1 Sights
The Fort area is home to about 400 historic
houses, churches, mosques, temples and old
commercial and government buildings. Galle
is an experience to savour, taste and touch;
revel in its surprises. And don’t neglect the
new town where you’ll find interesting shops
and markets. A large Muslim community lives
and works inside the Fort, particularly at the
southern end of the walled town. Many shops
close for a couple of hours around noon on
Friday for prayer time.

1 The Fort Walls

Locals and visitors alike enjoy walking the

Fort walls at dusk. As the daytime heat fades

away, you can walk almost the complete cir-

cuit of the Fort along the top of the wall in an

easy hour or two. You’ll be in the company of

lots of residents, shyly courting couples and

plenty of kids diving into the protected wa-

ters. At any time of day, you’ll make discover-

ies inside and out, including hidden beaches.

Note that you can tell which parts of the

walls were built by the Portuguese and which

parts were Dutch-built: the latter designed

much wider walls to allow for cannons to be

mounted.

oOld Gate hiSTORiC SiTe

A beautifully carved British coat of arms tops

the entrance to the Old Gate on the outer

side. Inside, the letters VOC, standing for

Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch

East India Company), are inscribed in the

stone with the date 1669, flanked by two li-

ons and topped by a cock. This portion of the

old wall also served as a warehouse for spices

waiting to be exported.

oFlag Rock hiSTORiC SiTe

(Rampart St) Flag Rock, at the southernmost

end of the Fort, was once a Portuguese bas-

tion. Today it is easily the most popular place

to catch a sunset. During daylight hours you

may see daredevil locals leaping into the wa-

ter from the rocks. Numerous vendors sell

good street food, such as fresh papaya with

chilli powder, from carts.

During the Dutch period, approaching

ships were signalled from the bastion atop

Flag Rock, warning them of dangerous

rocks – hence its name. Musket shots were

fired from Pigeon Island, close to the rock,

to further alert ships to the danger. Later, the

Dutch built a lighthouse here; since removed,

the nearby street name survives.

Main Gate hiSTORiC SiTe

(lighthouse St) The Main Gate in the northern

stretch of the wall is a comparatively recent

addition – it was built by the British in 1873 to

handle the heavier flow of traffic into the old

town. This part of the wall, the most intensely

fortified because it faced the land, was orig-

inally built with a moat by the Portuguese,

and was then substantially enlarged by the

Dutch who split the wall in 1667 into separate

Star, Moon and Sun Bastions.

Point Utrecht Bastion hiSTORiC SiTe

(hospital St) The eastern section of Galle’s wall

ends at the Point Utrecht Bastion, close to

the powder magazine, which bears a Dutch