Maritime and Naval History Museum

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Once the official residence of the Dutch Naval Commissioner in the Frederick Fort, and now a museum with a collection of naval maps, uniforms, boats, rafts, artillery, etc. the Maritime and Naval History Museum is a must visit place in Trincomalee. Managed by the Sri Lanka Navy, the museum exhibits interesting artifacts from the recent and colonial times.

The artifacts consist of maps, navy uniforms, boats & rafts, arms and ammunition, rifles and machine-guns. There are various weapons and machines including submarines, uniforms, weapons captured from the LTTE Sea Tiger terrorists during the civil war of Sri Lanka.

The location of Fort Frederick is important as in the historic times it is used as a garrison by the great King Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa to send his troops to invade the Pandyan state. In the colonial times it is where the Dutch first landed on the island.