Trincomalee

Trincomalee stands beside a vast natural harbour on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Its sheltered waters and position facing the Bay of Bengal made it a coveted anchorage for vessels crossing the Indian Ocean. Above the sea, a rocky headland was home to Koneswaram, a Hindu temple whose sacred precinct drew worshippers to the coast. The harbour and the shrine gave the town a significance reaching well beyond its immediate surroundings.

In 1622 the Portuguese destroyed the temple and used material from its buildings in a fort on the headland. The Dutch took Trincomalee in 1639 during their struggle against Portuguese power on the island. The fort was later handed to the king of Kandy and demolished, before the Dutch built another fortification in 1665. Possession of the harbour remained valuable to European naval powers in the eighteenth century, when fleets competing in the Indian Ocean sought secure places to shelter and resupply.