Star Fort Sri Lanka - Heritage of Matara

The front view of the Star Fort visible today

Star Fort Matara is located opposite the Matara Urban Council Office. This was the last defensive structure by the dutch in sri lanka. Star Fort  derived its name from its shape as it was constructed in the shape of a six - pointed star. In 1760 the "Matara Rebellion " took this place and this Fort Came up affter the sinhala army attack on Matara. by March 1761, the Kandyan (Up country) forces and the rebellious lowlanders had occupied the fort. in 1762, the fort was retaken by the Dutch. As a result of the rebellion, matara was reinforced by the erection of the star fort, standing on the west bank the Nilwala River  

The plan of the hexagonal - shaped building of the star fort

The construction of the Structure Was Started in 1763 and completed in 1765 by Baron Van Eck, the Dutch Governor who invaded the Kingdom of kandy sri lanka in 1765, the star fort was used to house a small garrison of Dutch Troops. Intended as an artillery position it was built in the shape of a Six-pointed star. Its Guns could approaches from all directions. At one time , the fort was surrounded by a deep Bitch.

the plaque of the for above the archway of the entrance

The gate is a Splendid example of Dutch colonial architecture. A semi - Circular "frame" ornamented with with the VOC initial. forms the top portion of the archway ; this is supported from the either side by two square pillars. Captioned centrally beneath this is the name of the fort, Redoute Van Eck. immediately bellow there is a plaque with Van Eck's coat of arms, falnked by Two lions. On either side of the slab are two long narrow slots into which the beams of the now extinct drawbridge retracts.  

 

Inside the Star fort Entrance

 In 1796 the star fort fell in to the hands of the British. it was used as the residence of the engineer and was maintained by the public works department. from 1965 the matara urban council used the star fort as the matara public library and in 1980 it was taken over by the Department of Archaeology.   

Drone View of hexagonal - shaped building

The Moat which surrounded the Fort was filled with earth but was later excavated and renovated by the Department of Archeology and a new drawbridge installed. the interior of the fort where the canons were located, the six guns points at six different directions. A hexagonal shaped building was constructed in keeping with the shape of the fort with a hexagonal courtyard. The star fort was the last major defensive works by the VOC in Sri lanka.

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