Kayts Island

Kayts is the largest island in the Jaffna Peninsula. The Portuguese fort in the island has been built with four circular bastions around 1629, with a shape of a horseshoe. This island played an important role during the Polonnaruwa Kingdom Era (1017-1236) and had a port called Urundai which was one of the primary commercial ports in the Northern Region of the country.This was also called Urundai Fort in the old days.

The fort was buid to protect Jaffna Penisula from invading forces but soon became obsolete with the building of the Jaffna Fort. This was abandoned in 1651. The island was taken over by the Dutch in the 1600’s but made no attempt was made to restore it.