The National Maritime Museum

Anyone would think that an island country would have a very intimate relationship with the sea. Sea to Sri Lankans is life. It provides not only numerous opportunities to expand maritime trade and entice tourists but also nourishes and protects the country. It is only natural that a museum would be dedicated to the sea and to visit one such museum you would have to come to The National Maritime Museum in Galle, Sri Lanka. It was established in 1992. The museum is housed in the Great Dutch (built) Warehouse of 1671. It is near the Old Gate of Galle Fort. As mentioned before the museum has innumerable exhibits that are connected with sea-faring, maritime trade, fishing and sea-life.
The National Maritime Museum has several treasures that have been in a watery grave due to ship wrecks off ports like Galle, Mantai and Trincomalee. Galle itself is known to have over 20 maritime archaeological sites. The government is doing all it can to salvage the possessions of the ship wrecks and preserve them for posterity.

In this museum, one would find the wheel of the first warship of the Sri Lanka Navy. Vijaya was commissioned on the 7th of October 1949. Here you will be able to see the model of a Dutch Staaten Jacht. To observe the exhibits carefully one needs time. See that you have plenty of time in hand when you decide to visit this museum. You will see the bridge of a ship that includes the wheel and compass and said to have belonged to a patrol craft. There is a headlamp which is fixed at the top of the mast of a ship to indicate the presence and movement of the ship to others. This is done to warn others who may be in the risk of crossing its path. There is an old Not-Under-Command lamp as an exhibit. Other exhibits in The National Maritime Museum are all intimately connected with the sea.