Tangalle fort

Tangalle Fort
Part of Hambantota District
Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Tangalle Fort
Coordinates	6°1′21″N 80°47′53″E / 6.02250°N 80.79806°E / 6.02250; 80.79806
Type	Defence fort
Height	12 m (39 ft)
Site information
Controlled by	Government of Sri Lanka
Open to the public	no
Condition	good
Site history
Built by	Dutch
Materials	limestone and coral

Tangalle Fort (Sinhala: තංගල්ල බලකොටුව, romanized: Tangalla Balakotuwa; Tamil: தங்காலைக் கோட்டை, romanized: Taṅkālaik Kōṭṭai) is a small Dutch fort located in the coastal town of Tangalle, Sri Lanka. The Dutch used Tangalle as an important anchorage on the southern coast of the island.

Tangalle fort differs from most other forts constructed by the Dutch, in that the fort has no massive ramparts. The four main walls, which are 12 m (39 ft) high, enclose a space similar to a rhombus, in height, in opposite corners of the structure. The fort was significantly altered by the British in the middle of the 19th century when it was converted into a prison. The British also used Tangalle as an anchorage. The fort is still being used as a prison by the Department of Prisons.^[1][2]

• Forts of Sri Lanka

• Nelson, W. A.; de Silva, Rajpal Kumar (2004). The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka - The Military Monuments of Ceylon. Sri Lanka Netherlands Association.