PRESERVATION OF PRIVATE HOUSES

Many public buildings in the Historic City of Galle were preserved with the patronage of the Department of Archaeology and other funding agencies. However, there was no attention given to the preservation of private houses, which played a vital role in the built environment of Galle Fort, leading to natural deterioration.

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These houses, an integral part of the historic landscape of the Fort, were designed based on the socio-cultural contexts of past eras. They have been arbitrarily modified, leading to the diminishing historic character of the Fort. The majority of these houses belonged to the 19th and early 20th centuries and have been drastically modified, deviating from their historic character and endangering the inherent cityscape of Galle Fort and its distinctive characteristics.