The museum found at the Galle Fort generally referred to as the National Maritime Museum, is one of the most feature-rich colonial museums found in the entirety of South Asia. The museum was established and opened for the public in May of 1992. The establishment serves as a symbol for the continued cooperation between the governments of Sri Lanka and the Netherlands to preserve the history and legacy of the colonial era.
The building that would go onto becoming the National Maritime Museum was in fact a storehouse. This was originally built by the Dutch all the way back in the 17th century. One of the unique features associated with this storehouse was that it was built against the thick ramparts of the fort. This was a relatively unusual feature that wasn’t common among other Dutch colonial buildings of the era. Like many of the buildings found in the fort, the purpose of this storehouse varied over the years until it finally turned into the museum it is today. At one point, it even served as the administrative complex for members of the Sri Lankan government.
When it first opened, the maritime museum primarily showcased the fauna and flora found in the sea that border the fort. These included fossils, skeletons and scaled-down replicas of the many fascinating species of marine life that inhabit Sri Lanka’s coastal waters. Several relics that belonged to old seafaring vessels and the maritime trade, in general, were also on exhibit. Unfortunately, the museum suffered heavy damage during the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Over 80% of the artifacts and exhibits present in the museum were lost or destroyed during this disaster, and the museum was subsequently shut down.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Netherlands government, the museum was able to reopen in 2010. A number of new artifacts were moved to the museum in order to provide visitors with a wealth of exhibits to marvel at. These range from ancient navigational equipment and sea maps to massive artillery and cannons that were used in ancient marine warfare
