For Frederick – sometimes referred to as the Trincomalee Fort – is an ancient colonial fort that’s found near the shores of Trincomalee in the Eastern reaches of Sri Lanka. Built in the early 17th century by the Portuguese in order to consolidate their power along Sri Lanka’s coast, the fort still stands today as a monument and reminder of the island’s storied colonial history.
Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the location of the fort contained the famous Hindu Koneswaram Temple. On April 14th, 1622 – the day of the Tamil New Year – the Portuguese forces ransacked the temple and destroyed it. Fort Frederick was built atop the ruins of the temple. It allowed the Portuguese to have better control of Sri Lanka’s eastern seafront and provided an excellent source of defence against other potential European powers.
Structurally, the fort has a triangular design with several guns attached on each side. These were primarily taken from a capture Danish war vessel. Overall, during its heyday, the fort contained over 16 pieces of heavy artillery and held a garrison of 40 soldiers and 30 casados.
Despite all its heavy defences, the fort was eventually captured by the Dutch in 1639. This played a vital part in the Portuguese losing control over the island, eventually abandoning it to the Dutch a few years later. The Dutch would renovate the fortress and heighten its defences. It was under their reign that the fort was given the name Frederick.
By 1795, the fort had fallen into the hands of another European power – the British. Following the subjugation of the entire island by them, the fort would remain a garrison for the British up until 1948 when Sri Lanka was granted independence. Nowadays, the fort acts as a garrison for the Sri Lankan army but remains accessible to visitors. As such, don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit this historical colonial landmark.
