St James' Church

Jaffna


This is the grandest church in Jaffna, a classical Italianate edifice used by Anglicans that dates to 1827.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Jaffna attractions

1. Subramaniam Park

0.36 MILES

An elegant modern park with impressive fountains. It reopened in 2010 after war damage was repaired. It has a fun children's play area.

3. St Mary’s Cathedral

0.44 MILES

Built by the Dutch along classical lines in the 1790s, St Mary’s Cathedral is astonishingly large, but it’s curious to see corrugated-iron roofing held up…

4. Clock Tower

0.45 MILES

An architectural curiosity, the spindly Clock Tower has a Moorish domed top, which makes it look like it belongs somewhere in North Africa. It was erected…

5. Jaffna Public Library

0.46 MILES

Tellingly, one of the first major buildings to be rebuilt after the 2002 ceasefire was Jaffna's Public Library. It had been burnt down by pro-government…

6. Jaffna Fort

0.63 MILES

Long the gatehouse of the city, the vast Jaffna fort, overlooking the Jaffna lagoon, has been fought over for centuries. Today you can wander its walls,…

8. Old Park

0.85 MILES

A grand expanse of grass with very old, huge shade trees, first laid out by the British in 1829. Besides a playground and the cute Dora Cafe, it has the…