Black Fort

Galle Fort’s sea-facing Zwart bastion is also known as the Black Fort because the stones became stained by the smoke from canons on the battlements and nearby smithies. It was so named by the Dutch after they seized Galle from the Portuguese in 1640 after a fierce sea and land battle, and is now a historical site much visited by tourists. On an elevated position overlooking the old harbor, this picturesque bastion is said to have a secret tunnel leading to—who knows where? It has not yet been fully excavated, so theories and rumors abound.