Galle

16th century when Portuguese were occupying most of Sri Lanka and then under the rule of the Dutch as well. In the 19th century, the British developed the Colombo seaport and the use of the Galle Port declined. More than any aspect of Galle, the history of this beautiful city is the most intriguing. Here you will find untouched ruins from the Portuguese and Dutch eras. The magnificent Dutch fort was even declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is the most visited place by tourists.

According to James Emerson Tennent, Galle was the ancient seaport of Tarshish, from which King Solomon drew ivory, peacocks and other valuables. Cinnamon was exported from Sri Lanka as early as 1400 BC and the root of the word itself is Hebrew, so Galle may have been a main entrepot for the spice.