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by ASIFF HUSSEIN

A towering clocktower

Galle Fort has much to offer the discerning traveller. Built by the Dutch more than three centuries ago, the ninety-acre fort still retains its old world charm.

The ramparts and bastion with its ornate pepperpot towers, the towering Protestant church with its gabled roofs and many of the houses with their spacious verandahs and rounded pillars still retain their characteristic Dutch architecture.Even the narrow streets have managed to cling to their old Dutch names, though unfortunately somewhat anglicised following the advent of British rule in the late Eighteenth century.

For instance the old Dutch Lijnbaan Straat or Ropewalk Street is today Leynbaan Street while Middel Straat has today become Middle Street. The twinning of Galle with Velsen in Holland and its declaration as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO has also done much to improve the lot of the Fort. Renovation of monuments such as the old Dutch church is in progress while many of the houses today boast of ornate old style street lamps facing the thoroughfare, a result of increased interest in giving back to the Fort that enchanting look it so richly deserves.

State patronage

A view of the Dutch Reformed Church and environs

The government for its part has done much to preserve the old character of the site and restore it to its former glory. Under a proposed UDA Act, all government offices which presently occupy about 40 percent of the buildings in the Fort would have to vacate the area while there would be no further expansion of schools save for the two already in existence, namely, All Saints College for boys and Southlands Balika Vidayalaya for girls.

The Education Department has already vacated while the Kachcheri is also in the process of vacating. Among the other proposed measures the government is seriously considering to preserve the character of the Fort is the introduction of legislation to prevent structural changes, introducing a three-colour scheme of yellow,white and ash for the front portion of the houses, prohibition of vehicles entering residential areas, the construction of a special car park where such vehicles could be parked and the introduction of a special buggy cart service for travel within the Fort.

Archaeological site

All however is not quite well in the Fort. Many of the houses are poorly maintained while others have had their structure considerably altered. Yet others have been bought over by foreigners, mostly Britishers as holiday homes and for conversion into guesthouses.

Although it is necessary in an archaeological site such as the Fort, that no major structural changes be effected in the buildings and that the identical architectural pattern be adhered to in the process of minor changes, the facts are otherwise. A few of the houses have had their structure so altered even to the extent of accommodating another storey. Maintaining the houses is another major problem. Indeed, some buildings are in such a bad state that they are on the verge of collapsing. Yet others do not appear to have been painted or whitewashed for years.

An old building

Mohammad Nasser Anvar, the President of the Old House Association of Galle which presently boasts of 40 members and is currently engaged in a membership drive, acknowledges that many of the houses are poorly maintained but contends that a major problem here is finance since many of the residents in Galle Fort are financially not in a position to improve their houses.

He proposes that in order to overcome this problem,a foreign-funded project be implemented where a private appraiser would investigate and recommend repairs where and when necessary, whether as a free service or on a monthly instalment basis. He also pointed out that government's proposal to prevent demarcation of houses into several units, especially in connection with the frontage might pose a problem to the Muslim residents who comprise the majority in the Fort.

This he explained was due to the dowry system and the concomitant fragmentation of property which still remained a problem within the community. As a remedy, he proposes that government provide them free architectural services to come up with a viable solution, where whilst demarcating, the structure of the building would be preserved. He also pointed out that the proposed colour scheme which intends giving the houses a vintage Dutch look might infringe on a basic human right. Anvar also observed that the beauty of the Fort mainly lies in its ramparts and that this too needs to be conserved. He noted that there were a few places which were on the verge of collapsing while stones needed to be conserved in others. He also suggested that there be more greenery to embellish the beauty of the Fort. This could be accomplished by growing more grass, he added.

Another problem of course is the purchase of houses by expatriates, mainly Britishers who some feel pose a threat to the social and religious life of the community. The removal of the prohibitive land tax for foreigners a few years ago has encouraged expatriates, mostly Britishers from Hong Kong to purchase some very good houses here.

Some have converted these into guesthouses and nightclubs may probably not be too far off. The only redeeming factor is that the houses are well maintained, which cannot be said of many of the local residents here. Old mansion There are of course those locals who have expended much money and effort to renovate their properties, among them Abdul Gaffar Hajiar who inspired by the Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad which houses the private collection of the Nizam's Prime Minister Nawab Ali Khan, set about building his own museum over the ruins of an old house he had purchased at Leynbaan Street about 20 years ago.

This old mansion believed to be the oldest in the Fort was restored to its present state at great cost and labour. The same old clay and coral mixture was employed in the construction of the walls and the old architectural pattern adhered to in the process of restoration.

An old well in existence since Dutch times has been excavated and reconstructed with limestone and corals and by its side lies a VOC granite slab dated 1763. This magnificent building now known as the Historical Mansion Museum, Art Gallery and Arcade comprises of three sections, a museum housing Gaffar Hajiar's collection of antiquities including VOC coins, plates, amphoras,firearms and bullets, a gallery offering rare antique items and furniture for sale and an arcade dealing in gems and jewellery.

Finally, it is only the enterprise and enthusiasm of individuals such as these which could ensure that Galle Fort is preserved for posterity.

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