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Galle
is a
town
situated
on
the
southwestern
tip
of
Sri
Lanka,
119
km
from
Colombo.
Galle
was
known
as
Gimhathiththa
(although
Ibn
Batuta
in
the
14th
century
refers
to
it
as
Qali)
before
the
arrival
of
the
Portuguese
in
the
16th
century,
when
it
was
the
main
port
on
the
island.
Galle
reached
the
height
of
its
development
in
the
18th
century,
before
the
arrival
of
the
British,
who
developed
the
harbor
at
Colombo. |
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Galle
lies
in
Galle
District. |
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On
26
December
2004
the
city
was
devastated
by
the
massive
Boxing
Day
Tsunami
caused
by
the
2004
Indian
Ocean
earthquake
that
occurred
a
thousand
miles
away,
off
the
coast
of
Indonesia.
Thousands
were
killed
in
the
city
alone. |
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Galle
is
the
best
example
of a
fortified
city
built
by
Europeans
in
south
and
southeast
Asia,
showing
the
interaction
between
European
architectural
styles
and
south
Asian
traditions.
Galle
fort
is a
world
heritage
site
and
the
largest
remaining
fortress
in
Asia
built
by
European
occupiers.
Other
prominent
landmarks
in
Galle
include
St.
Mary's
Cathedral
founded
by
Jesuit
priests,
one
of
the
main
Shiva
temples
on
the
island,
and
The
Amangalla,
a
historic
luxury
hotel. |
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Galle
is
the
main
town
in
the
most
southerly
part
of
the
island,
with
a
population
of
around
100,000,
and
is
connected
by
rail
to
Colombo
and
Matara.
It
is
home
to a
cricket
ground,
the
Galle
International
Stadium,
rebuilt
after
the
2004
tsunami.
Test
matches
resumed
there
on
December
18,
2007. |
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Rumassala
Kanda
is a
large
mound-like
hill,
which
forms
the
eastern
protective
barrier
to
the
Galle
harbour.
Local
tradition
associates
this
hill
with
some
events
of
the
Ramayana. |
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