Queen’s Tower

History & Culture

Description

There is some consideration as to whether the Dutch or British originally built this tower during their occupation of Ceylon. The Queen’s building was constructed to serve as a point of recognition for oncoming ships to help them safely navigate the waters. A fire would be arrived at the base of its 55-foot-tall construction, and its light would be matched up through the tower and redirected towards the oncoming ships. There is also evidence to suggest that the British had been using another building known as the King’s Tower, which has since been demolished.