The
Arya Cakravartti, Kings of
Jaffna, for the purpose of defending their country against all enemies had forts erected at
Nallur and Kopay. Kopay fort lies on the
Point Petro Road, 150m, North of Kopay junction and at the end of a lane which goes on the right-hand side of the main road. According to Ponnampalam Ragupathy (Early Settlements in Jaffna), historiographical literature and chronicles, Kopay was a second capital for the
Kings of Jaffna where they had a fort and residence. It is only about 4 km from
Nallur, a place known from the
Chola times and which was the capital of the Kings of Jaffna till the advent of
Portuguese. The word Kopay may possibly render a meaning the residence of the King (Ko-king; Pay-seat). In the 16th century, during the struggle between the
Arya Cakravartti, Kings of Jaffna, and the
Portuguese, the
Arya Cakravarttis used the Kopy fort as their main
defence centre, especially during the period of
King Cankili Raja (I) Segarasasekaram. He stationed one section of his troops at
Nallur, as he feared that the
Portuguese might invade the
Kingdom again. The strategic position of Kopay made the King to choose it as an important defence centre in times of war. According to
Joao Ribeiro (Army Captain) the Portuguese historian and
Sir Paul E. Pieris, in 1560 when
King Cankili Raja (I) Segarasasekaram’s forces launched repeated onslaughts against the fort at Kopay, they used ladders made of arecanut trees to scale the walls of the citadel. Later fortress at Kopay was also captured and destroyed by the
Portuguese. Both
Nallur and Kopay are along the
Upparu lagoon. The site of the
Palace inside the Kopay fort, marked with
archaeological remains, was known as "Raasa Maaligai" (
Royal Palace). Kopay fort had some remains of foundations and some small
dilapidated walls. At present everything has been erased and place has been transformed into a place of
cultivation of crops. The evidences of bricks and stones, found at the place confirm that a building structure existed there earlier and the adjacent tank which was renovated from time to time, now lies as a waste plot covered with shrubs, bushes and other plants. == Education ==