Galle's unique identity must be preserved - Southern Province Governor

D.C. de Silva, Kahawa Special Correspondent

The Galle Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and since then, more than 50 of the Fort's 473 houses have been purchased and restored by foreigners, said Southern Province Governor Kumari Balasuriya, speaking as Chief Guest at the Heritage Awards presentation ceremony at the Galle Fort Hotel.

She said all the projects were privately funded and conformed to all UNESCO requirements. The Galle Fort is one such project and is an example of how such a restoration should be carried out.

"As part of this important task, we have seen the importance of protecting not only the town as a whole, but also individual buildings and structures which gives Galle its unique identity. In 2005, UNESCO presented an Award of Merit for the restoration of the Dutch Reformed Church, an important historic building which is a religious and monumental landmark.

"Galle was recognised in 1986 as a Word Heritage Site for being an "outstanding example of an urban ensemble which illustrates interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to 19th centuries", she said.

"The World community stands head and shoulders with our friends in Galle and Sri Lanka in the conservation of this unique townscape", she said.

The Governor said it is indeed an outstanding and rare achievement for the Galle Fort Hotel to win the 2007 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award of distinction for Heritage conservation, a very competitive and prestigious award in the region.

"I must congratulate the Directorate of the Galle Fort Hotel and our own team of architects, engineers and craftsmen who have with high professionalism, done a marvelous job in restoring an abandoned historic residential compound to a very beautiful hotel, as we see today. As Sri Lankans we are proud of your skills and devotion", she said.

Governor Balasuriya said an extensive programme is in progress, funded by the Netherlands and with the collaboration of the Galle Heritage Foundation, Central Cultural Fund and several other State agencies to restore the ancient Dutch buildings and fortifications in the Galle Fort City.

"Parallel to this, many privately funded conservation projects are also in progress and the Galle Fort Hotel Project may be the largest privately funded such conservation project", she pointed out.

"Before long we can expect an unbelievable change in the outlook of this City encouraging more tourists to visit the Galle Heritage Site", Governor Balasuriya said.