Galle
| Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| |
| State Party |  Sri Lanka
|
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv |
| Reference | 451 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1988 (10th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. | |
Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English, IPA: /gɔːl/, the same as "Gaul," and in Sinhalese, IPA: [gaːlːə]) is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British, who developed the harbor at Colombo.
Galle lies in Galle District.
On 26 December, 2004 the city was devastated by the massive Boxing Day Tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that occurred a thousand miles away, off the coast of Indonesia. Thousands were killed in the city alone.
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. Galle fort is a world heritage site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. Other prominent landmarks in Galle include St. Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and The Amangalla, a historic luxury hotel.
Galle is the main town in the most southerly part of the island, with a population of around 100,000, and is connected by rail to Colombo and Matara. It is home to a cricket ground, the Galle International Stadium, rebuilt after the 2004 tsunami. Test matches resumed there on December 18, 2007.
Rumassala Kanda is a large mound-like hill, which forms the eastern protective barrier to the Galle harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of the Ramayana.
History
According to James Emerson Tennent, Galle was the ancient seaport of Tarshish, from which King Solomon drew ivory, peacocks and other valuables. Certainly, cinnamon was exported from Sri Lanka as early as 1400 B.C.E. and the root of the word itself is Hebrew, so Galle may have been the main entrepot for the spice.
Galle had been a prominent seaport long before western rule in the country. Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Malays and Indians were doing business through Galle port. The "modern" history of Galle starts in 1505, when the first Portuguese ship, under Lourenço de Almeida was driven there by a storm. However, the people of the city refused to let the Portuguese enter it, so the Portuguese took it by force.
In 1640, the Portuguese had to surrender to the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch built the present Fort in the year 1663. They built a fortified wall, using solid granite, and built three bastions, known as "sun," "moon" and "star."
After the British took over the country from the Dutch in the year 1796, they preserved the Fort unchanged, and used it as the administrative centre of Galle.
Demographics
Galle is sizeable town, by Sri Lankan standards, and has a population of 90,934, the majority of whom are of Sinhalese ethnicity; there is a large Sri Lankan Moor minority who are the descendants of the Arab traders that established the ancient port of Galle.
| Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese | 66,114 | 72.71 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 989 | 1.09 |
| Indian Tamils | 255 | 0.28 |
| Sri Lankan Moors | 23,234 | 25.56 |
| Other (including Burgher, Malay) | 342 | 0.38 |
| Total | 90,934 | 100 |
Source: 2001 Census
Universities
Two main faculties of University of Ruhuna are located in Galle. Faculty of Engineering is located at Hapugala about 5 km from the city center. The faculty of Medicine is located at Karapitiya near the Karapitiya Hospital.
Schools
- Richmond College (established in 1876)Richmond College Website
- Mahinda College (established in 1892)Mahinda College Website
- Siri Dhamma College (established in 1995)
- St.Aloysius College (established in 1895)
- Southlands College (established in 1885)
- Sacred Heart Convent
- Sangamitta Girls'College
- Vidayaloka College
- Rippon Girls' College
- Nagoda Jathika Pasala.
- All Saints College (established in 1867)
- Christ Church Girls' College(established in 1888)
- Olcot Mix College
- G/Battemulla Maha Vidyalaya,Imaduwa
- Malharus Sulhiya National School
- Muslim Ladies College
Twin cities
The City of Galle is twinned with:
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- Velsen, Although not an official twin city, 
Melbourne, Australia 'adopted' Galle after the 2004 tsunami disaster, funding the reconstruction of its cricket ground and providing financial and other support, including a mobile library.
Maps
See also
- Tsunami
- Place names in Sri Lanka
External links
- Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications, UNESCO World Heritage
- Official website of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board
- Maritime Archaeology & History of Sri Lanka
- Audio interview with Galle resident about life in Galle (English)
- The Walled City - Galle
- CPAmedia Historic Galle
- A Historic tour through the city of Galle
- The old world's romantic city: Galle!
- Galle - A Port City in History
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