National Museum of Galle, National museum in Galle Fort, Sri Lanka
The National Museum of Galle occupies a 1656 Dutch colonial building on Church Street and contains three galleries with regional historical collections. The rooms display artifacts from Portuguese, Dutch, and British periods along with maritime finds and crafted objects spanning several centuries.
The building was constructed in 1656 by the Dutch as a commissariat store for the garrison and later served as a billiards room before becoming a museum in 1986. This transformation shows how colonial architecture adapted to new uses across the centuries before finally becoming a repository of local history.
The museum displays traditional crafts such as Beeralu lace weaving, carved wooden masks, and maritime objects that reveal long-standing trade connections and local skills. These items show the everyday activities and artistic abilities of people who lived and worked in this region.
The museum sits on Church Street inside the fort and is easily reached by walking the pathways that lead through the fortification walls. A visit works well alongside exploring the neighboring sections of the fort that are just steps away.
A gallery within the museum documents historical connections between Sri Lanka and China through exhibits about Buddhist monk Faxian and Fleet Admiral Zheng He. This section reveals a lesser-known chapter of regional trade and cultural exchange that extends far beyond the European colonial period.
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