page_title: Star fort, Matara
hierarchical_section_title: Star fort, Matara
caption_attribution_description: English: The moated Star Fort was constructed to defend the river crossing to the main fort, and also contained a prison. The Dutch kept crocodiles in the moat, as a deterrent to potential attackers or escapees. The river that fed the moat, and the lake that fed the river, are still infested with these creatures.
context_page_description: The Star Fort is a fort in Matara, Sri Lanka, located on the eastern bank of the Nilwala River, approximately 350 metres from the gate to the Matara fort. It was constructed by the Dutch in 1765, and was originally called Redoute Van Eck.
context_section_description: The Star Fort (Sinhala: මාතර තාරකා කොටුව Mathara Tharaka Kotuwa; Tamil: விண்மீன் கோட்டை, romanized: Viṇmīṉ Kōṭṭai) is a fort in Matara, Sri Lanka, located on the eastern bank of the Nilwala River, approximately 350 metres (1,150 ft) from the gate to the Matara fort. It was constructed by the Dutch in 1765, and was originally called Redoute Van Eck.
caption: The moat of the redoubt
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