Largest in SriLanka and 5th largest in the world natural harbourTrincomalee is a district, a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, about 110 miles northeast of Kandy. The town is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours.The Bay of Trincomalee is landlocked; the harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike every other in the Indian Sea, it is accessible to all types of craft in all weathers. The beaches are used for surfing, scuba diving and fishing and whale watching. The town also has the largest Dutch fortress in Sri Lanka.Trincomalee which is a natural deep-water harbour that has attracted sea farers like Marco Polo, Ptolemy and Sea Traders from China and East Asia since ancient times. The local name, Tirukonamalai, means "Sacred Hill of the Lord". The Sinhalese and Tamil historians have rival claims on the port city which probably reflects elements of both cultures from antiquity. Trinco, as it is commonly called, has been a sea port since the days of the ancient Kings. Parakramabahu I, circa 12th century, used Gokanna (Trinco) as his eastern port. An English sea captain and historical chronicle writer named Robert Knox came ashore by chance near Trinco and surrendered to the Dissawa (official) of the King of Kandy in 1659. Hence, it was an important trade city between Sri Lanka and the outside world, and one of the British Empire's most important ports in Asia during the second world war. From 1941-45, Trinco was the headquarters of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Allied Southeast Asia commander.Trincomalee and its environs have both Hindu and Buddhist sites of historical importance. These sites are sacred to the Hindus and Buddhists.Trincomalee's strategic importance has shaped its recent history. The great European powers vied for mastery of the harbour. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the English, each held it in turn, and there have been many sea battles nearby. Fort Fredrick was built in 1623 by the Portuguese and captured in 1639 by the Dutch. It then went through a phase of dismantling and reconstruction and was attacked and captured by the French in 1672.On January 8, 1782 the fort was captured by the British, only to be recaptured by the French on August 29 of the same year. In 1783 the French ceded it to the British and subsequently Britain ceded it the Dutch. In 1795 the British recaptured and held it until Sri Lanka's independence in 1948.

Video providers : , and this video is stored with all copyright by