An 18th-century Dutch colonial church inside the fort, its floor paved with old gravestones and memorial slabs.

Overview

The Dutch Reformed Church, or Groote Kerk, is one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use in Sri Lanka. Its calm whitewashed interior holds antique wooden pews, an organ loft and a floor and walls lined with carved Dutch memorial stones and tombstones moved here from an earlier cemetery. Entry is free, with donations welcomed toward its upkeep.

History

Built by the Dutch and completed in 1755 on the site of an earlier Portuguese convent, the church commemorates the daughter of a Dutch commander and remains an active place of worship within Galle Fort.