Hi my loving Hivers,
What's up friends? I hope everything are OK for you. Yesterday was holiday to me. So morning time I dedicated for cooking ability. Evening time I spent for visit historical travel location nearest my living area. Galle is a capital city of southern province in Sri Lanka. Only 5 km available since Unawatuna to Galle town. If you are come from Colombo capital city of Sri Lanka, you can choose three ways reach to Galle city. Southern expressway is very quick way reach Since Colombo. Also you can choose Colombo - Galle normal road with watching beautiful landscapes. Colombo - Galle coastal railway another good way to enjoying with mangrove environment.
My wife and daughter joined this trip on my motorcycle. As it was very close to my house and the traffic was heavy, riding the motorcycle was safe. It should be mentioned especially that the fort was full of local tourists as it was a holiday.
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Galle city is a place where fishing industry is also widely practiced in addition to trade activities. A fishing port is also close to the city and close to Galle port. Fishing boats were parked on the side near the Galle Fort, and the fish caught from these are sold in the market stalls on this site. Being a Buddhist country, fish was not sold from those shops yesterday. The shade of the big trees and the waves of the sea breeze moderate the sun's rays. Fishermen used modern fishing boats as well as traditional fishing boats for fishing.
Since I have been visiting Galle Fort since I was a child, I have some understanding of the changes that have taken place today. Since the past, a large number of government offices were located in this fort. With the passage of time, they are being removed from the enclosure wall due to communication activities. Most of the government administrative offices have been removed from the fort area and moved nearer to the city with the aim of increasing tourist attraction.
A footpath has recently been constructed as the road by the sea leading into the fort is narrow. It provides great convenience to walkers.
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Many of the old trees in this area are more than 100 years old. Perhaps the small plants that were there at the time of the Portuguese invasion now cover the entire road and show their beauty. However, all those who protected such old huge trees must be saluted. We should protect these trees for future generations without destroying them even for development purposes. Seeing such ancient trees gives us great pride in our history.
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The office of the Deputy Harbor Master belonging to the Sri Lanka Port Authority was located after that. A few anchors were displayed on the small base, and they were attractive.
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Since ancient times, many buildings in this area had walls painted with yellow paint. Although I don't know its meaning, it can be understood that there must have been some standard at that time. Painting the walls with yellow color can be a result.
After passing the old fort gate, you will find the court grounds. Photographing them was prohibited for security reasons. Therefore, in order to park the motorcycle, one had to go near the lighthouse because a large number of vehicles were already parked.
After stopping the bike and walking forward, I saw a big and old banyan tree again. Its roots spread downwards from the upper branches. And from the benches below the trees, the big trees that spread the branches provided such a big shade that anyone could enjoy the freedom. It can be considered as a great beneficial feature of nature.
Today, luxury restaurants have been built on the site of what was once a Dutch hospital. Food is sold here at a higher price compared to other places. But there was no shortage of tourists either. An abundance of foreign tourists who come during the Christmas season can also be seen this year.
All over the fort city there are buildings built with a variety of architectural techniques. It is admirable that the shopkeepers are still maintaining their old appearance.
Meanwhile, a crumbling building could also be seen. It is amazing to see such a precious land. Sometimes this land owner is not alive or may be abroad. Otherwise, such a building cannot be destroyed.
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As we learned in history in school, Galle Fort is a fort built by the Portuguese in 1588 AD in the Galle area. It was later modernized by the Dutch in the 17th century and now boasts a history of 400 years. Currently, two gates are used to enter the fort. I used the entrance near the sea on the left. Galle Fort, designated as a World Heritage Site, is a beautiful and ancient treasure.
When I used to travel here in my school days, there was no pavement with black stone carvings like this. But now it has been built to suit the environment for the convenience of tourists.
Even as the night approached, beautiful light patterns could be seen from the old buildings.
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Although the old maps of Galle Fort created by the Portuguese are not to scale, they are an accurate representation. The fort has been naturally protected from the sea by using natural rocks from the sea area. The land area was also protected by cannons mounted on man-made watchtowers. have. According to the old paintings, it seems that there were many religious buildings, houses and commercial establishments in the Portuguese fort.
The fort was created in the coastal region of Sri Lanka as the Portuguese gradually gained power in the coastal region. As a result of this, the Galle fort wall on the south side was created. The creation of Galle Fort by the Portuguese started in the year 1589. Documents with detailed construction estimates confirm this information. By creating the Galle Fort, the Portuguese wanted to strengthen their military power based on the Galle port. The Portuguese engineers who used the primary raw materials such as stone and cottonwood that they could procure from around them, built the fort wall at the primary level with 3 guard towers in the part connected to the land of the Galle Fort area, which was naturally located in a peninsular shape.
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There is a small road with stairs to access the beach right next to the lighthouse located in Galle Fort. Having a safe zone marked for bathing also provides an excellent service for the safety of tourists. A large number of local tourists enjoyed themselves on the beach, and the presence of a large number of Muslims was a notable feature.
Although there was no advanced technical method for construction at that time, the Portuguese and Dutch built the Galle Fort, which is still standing today. Even though more than 500 years have passed, only a small part has collapsed.
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I, my beloved wife and darling daughter, are
living in freedom and peace from Galle Dutch Fort.
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A large group of Muslim devotees were standing in front of the mosque located in the center of Galle Fort. There are more women among them. Glad to see how they enjoyed their freedom very peacefully. Especially in our country, an environment where Muslim women and young women stay at home can be seen in some areas. Therefore, I can say that this is one occasion where I felt great joy.
On the mountain beyond the Indian Ocean, you can see a white dagaba. Depending on the distance, it is not clearly visible even when zoomed by the camera. It is the Japanese Peace Pagoda located in Rumassala, Unawatuna area. I think you remember that I went to visit the Japanese peacekeepers in Rumassa last Poya day. A content related to that has been collected and posted on this platform.
During the Christmas period, the roughness of the sea decreases and the beaches become peaceful. At that moment, the sea waves were restrained.
If you have seen young people jumping into the sea at Galle Fort on the internet, you may remember the huge crowd in front of us. Even though the jump was banned some time ago, the opportunity has been given to the youth as it increases the tourist attraction.
Gradually, when the night dawned, the light of the lighthouse started to be lit to give the signal to the ships passing through the sea route.
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We didn't even feel time passing. After the night came and the lights came on, they left the area to reach home. While coming, we could see the electric light of the clock shaft which has historical value in Galle Fort. Due to paucity of time I could not cover that area. I bid farewell, promising to cover that area next time and present it to you.
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