Galle ancient Dutch fort old gate

A plaque carved with the Royal Emblem of Ireland dating back to the period of King George III of England placed after the subjugation of Galle by British is seen above the Old Gate while entering the Fort along with the road running parallel to the beach (Baladaksha Mawatha). British Crown held by a lion from its right side and by a unicorn from the left side is displayed on this plaque. The motto of the British Emperor, (Dieu et Mon Droit) meaning “ GOD’S and MY DOMAIN” is marked on a strip at the plaque. The plaque held by the Lion and the unicorn is encircled by citation Honi Soit QuiMal y Pense which means “ Who Thinks of Devil Shall be Possessed by Devil”.

Both those citations are excerpts from sayings in French. Following the subjection of Galle Fort by British in 1796 AD, they removed the emblem of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) that was here and carved the British Royal Emblem.

About Galle District

Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo.Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in south and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and south Asian traditions. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.

Galle is a sizeable town, by Sri Lankan standards, and has a population of 91,000, the majority of whom are of Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also a large Sri Lankan Moor minority, particularly in the fort area, which descend from Arab merchants that settled in the ancient port of Galle.

About Southern Province

The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. Subsistence farming and fishing is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of this region.

Important landmarks of the Southern Province include the wildlife sanctuaries of the Yala and Udawalawe National Parks, the holy city of Kataragama, and the ancient cities of Tissamaharama, Kirinda and Galle. (Although Galle is an ancient city, almost nothing survives from before the Portuguese invasion.) During the Portuguese period there were two famous Sinhalese poets called Andare who was from Dickwella and Gajaman Nona who was from Denipitiya in Matara District, composing poems on common man.

Services of Lakpura LLC