Delft Island fort

Delft Island Fort
Neduntheevu, Sri Lanka
Delft Island fort
Delft Island Fort
Coordinates	9°32′27″N 79°40′40″E / 9.540736°N 79.677769°E / 9.540736; 79.677769
Type	Defence fort
Site information
Condition	Ruins
Site history
Built by	Portuguese
Materials	Limestone and coral

Delft Island Fort (also known as Neduntheevu fort and "Meekaman / Meegaaman fort"; Tamil: நெடுந்தீவுக் கோட்டை; Sinhalese: ඩෙල්ෆ් බලකොටුව) was built by the Portuguese on the island of Neduntheevu in the Palk Straight in northern Sri Lanka. Later, it was taken over by Dutch, who built a barrack nearby. The island known to the Portuguese as Ilha das Vacas, was renamed by the Dutch as Delft Island.^[1][2]

The fort was constructed out of limestone and coral.^[3] Though now in ruins, Ralph Henry Bassett describes the fort as a "very strongly fortified fort" in his book Romantic Ceylon: Its History, Legend, and Story.^[3]

References

• Nelson, W. A.; de Silva, R. K. (2004). The Dutch Forts of Sri Lanka – The Military Monuments of Ceylon. Sri Lanka Netherlands Association. 

Forts of Sri Lanka
Ancient Forts	Balana fort Mapagala fortress Sigiriya Sitawaka fort Vijithapura Yapahuwa
Colonial Forts	Portuguese Forts Arandora fort Arippu fort Batticaloa fort Colombo fort Delft Island fort Fort Fredrick Fort Hammenheil Galle fort Haldummulla fort† Hanwella fort Jaffna fort Kalutara fort Kayts Island fort† Malwana fort† Mannar fort Matara fort Menikkadawara fort† Negombo fort Pooneryn fort Ratnapura Portuguese fort† Ruwanwella fort Dutch Forts Elephant Pass fort Fort Beschutter Fort Ostenburg Fort Pyl Kalpitiya fort Kankesanthurai fort Katuwana fort Koddiyar fort Mullaitivu fort Point Pedro fort Ratnapura Dutch fort Star fort Tangalle fort British Forts Fort MacDowall Martello tower
Less or no contribution/renovation works of Dutch are marked by † symbol under "Portuguese Forts", and others are considered as Dutch forts too.