Fort Hammenheil, Portuguese-Dutch fort on a small rocky island at Jaffna Lagoon entrance, Sri Lanka.
Fort Hammenheil is an octagonal fort sitting on a small rocky island at the entrance of Jaffna Lagoon in Sri Lanka. It has seventeen gun embrasures spread across its eight walls, with seven straight sides and one curved section facing the southern approach.
Portuguese Governor Antonio do Amaralde Menezes ordered the fort built in 1618, using quarried coral stone as the main material. The Dutch later took control of the island and made changes to strengthen its defenses.
The fort reflects how Portuguese and Dutch soldiers lived and worked together, visible in the way the rooms are arranged and the materials they chose. You can see how they adapted their building methods to work with the local coral stone.
You reach the island by boat from the mainland, and sea conditions can change depending on the weather. Wear comfortable shoes since the ground is uneven, with rocky and narrow paths throughout the site.
A large water reservoir on the north side was built by the Dutch using special bricks and still holds fresh water today. This system for storing drinking water is several centuries old and demonstrates the practical engineering knowledge of that era.
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