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All Sri Lanka Saint Anthony’s Church and Cemetery

Saint Anthony’s Church and Cemetery

The ruins of this old church are slowing sinking into the sand.

Sri Lanka

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Max Cortesi
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Walls of the old St. Anthony’s church being eaten by sand dunes   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
The old church may go back to the days of 17th century Dutch rule   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Other accounts put the date around 1900, when Sri Lanka was the British colony known as Ceylon   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Graves in the sand   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Cemetery at the top of the dunes - many of the graves came in the wake of the 2004 tsunami   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
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About

On the far northeastern beaches of Sri Lanka there is a tiny village called Manalkadu. It doesn’t see many tourists—and with only one battered unnamed road to get there, that’s not surprising. What is surprising, once you do arrive, is finding the ruins of a once-majestic church, and a collection of modest graves nearby, watching as the walls are slowly eaten by sand.

The church is the old St. Anthony’s, but exactly how old is a little murky. Some accounts date it to the 17th century, during the period of Dutch rule. Others put the date around 1900, when Sri Lanka was the British colony known as Ceylon. Whatever the age, the effect of the stone, brick and coral walls slowly sinking into the dunes provides an eerie and striking backdrop to the modest cross markers that dot the sand, and the deep blue Indian Ocean just beyond.

The crosses are the graves of local residents, many of whom were among the thousands of Sri Lankans who lost their lives in the 2004 tsunami. As with the church walls, the dunes around the graves are always shifting, the sand revealing either too much or too little of what’s buried below. 

The history of Sri Lanka goes back at least 3,000 years, to the days of the ancient Silk Road. Until 2014 it was difficult to get a visa to visit the area of the old St. Anthony’s, but tourism has since opened up as the political and economic conditions in Sri Lanka have improved. The sands, always shifting.

Related Tags

Ruins Churches Cemeteries Dunes Islands Beaches Oceans Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The ruins and cemetery are along the beach just north of the small village of Manalkadu, about 6 miles from the town of Point Pedro. It is on the Jaffna peninsula at the very northern tip of the island. Many of the area roads are unnamed, so you can set your GPS to the coordinates up top.

Note that there is a new, rebuilt St. Anthony’s in the village, not to be confused with the ruins. Also, there are reports from some tour sites that the beaches around Manalkuda are patrolled by the army. Check with local tourism authorities or agencies as to current access and any restrictions for visitors.

Community Contributors

Added By

Max Cortesi

Edited By

aribrown

  • aribrown

Published

August 19, 2016

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Sources
  • "Sri Lanka" by Joe Cummings (English ed.), section: Jaffna Peninsula - Towards Point Pedro
  • "The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka" by Gavin Thomas, section: The Manalkadu Desert
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka
  • http://www.tripmondo.com/sri-lanka/northern-province/manalkadu/
  • http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150322/plus/old-memories-new-realities-140370.html
  • http://www.reddottours.com/251/north-east-of-jaffna-town-activity-profile.htm
Saint Anthony’s Church and Cemetery
B371
Manalkadu Beach
Sri Lanka
9.768442, 80.243454

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