Dutch Reformed Church

Matara, Sri Lanka

The Dutch Colonial Period church dates to 1686, although its facade was remodelled in 1769. Both the facade and the interior (next page) are very simple and spare, in keeping with the church's Calvinist heritage. The Dutch Reformed Church was the semi-official Netherlands denomination at the time, and entered Sri Lanka along with the Dutch East India Company (VOC). It still has about 5,000 members in the island.