Kotte - The Ramparts

The Rampart road a little further down Kotte Road, thankfully leads you to some remains of the great rampart, and the south moat known as the ‘Atul Diya Agala’.

To visit the remains turn into Rampart Road, take a right turn from the T-junction and turn right again into Rampart Road - First Lane. This lane leads you to the south Ramparts and the inner moat. The south of the fortified city faced the open land, and was not protected by the rivulets or the swamp. This special moat was built to protect the city from the only side that was vulnerable from a land attack. The southern gate and draw bridge that was built over this inner moat, was the main entrance to the city of Kotte. The above picture shows a part of the south rampart. 

To see the rest of the ramparts, go down Rampart road again and turn into Rampart Road - Third Lane. At the end of the lane, you will find parts of the ramparts still in a good state. These  were part of the city’s eastern defenses. Now a road known as the Japan Lanka Friendship road skirts the eastern defenses. A drive down this road will give a visitor a good view of the eastern flank and some of the remaining pieces of the ramparts and moat.

Today, many people have built structures alongside as well as on top the ramparts, ignoring building codes that bar any structure within 9 feet of it. The moat has been filled and built upon. The ramparts are also overgrown with weeds.

Additional Photographs:

(a) Part of the eastern moat now overgrown with weeds.
(b) Part of the 'Atul Diya Agala' or the inner moat.
(c) A well preserved piece of the ramparts.
(d) Another picture of the inner moat.
(e) A house built next to the ramparts.