Jaffna Fort is a sprawling fortress sitting along the lagoon shoreline at the southern edge of Jaffna. It's laid out as a pentagon, with a bastion at each corner and a star shaped moat around it. The fort has had quite the colourful history including changing hands, and size, many times over the years. The Portuguese began it in 1618, the Dutch rebuilt and enlarged it after taking over in 1658, then British troops held it until 1948. You can walk the ramparts to capture wide frames with the lagoon sprawling out to the south and west. Evening light spreads straight along the walls giving them rich tones to experiment with. The old Dutch church sits in a mound of rubble with a blue painted doorway sitting on top that adds some historical context to your compositions. The Queen's House still has its row of columns across the front, marked all over by bullets. The entry gates sit off Jaffna-Kankesanturai Road, and foreign visitors will have to pay to access the fortress. Restoration by the both the Sri Lankan and Dutch governments is slowly under way so some parts of the grounds may be fenced off during your visit. Ideally try to stay until sunset to play with the rich colours as the sun drops down into the lagoon. (Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka)
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