Colombo
Colombo is
the largest city and commercial capital of
Sri Lanka. Located on the west coast of the
island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura
Kotte, the administrative capital of Sri Lanka,
Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a
mixture of modern life and colonial ruins
and a metropolitan population of over 600,000
people. Deriving its name from Kolon Thota
meaning a port on river kelani it is the present
capital of Sri Lanka the Island Paradise and
is the most developed in the country. Due
to its large natural harbour and its strategic
position along the East-West sea trade routes,
Colombo was known to ancient traders since
more than 2,000 years ago. However it was
only made the capital of the island when Sri
Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815
and its status as capital was retained when
the nation received independence in 1948.
In 1978, when administrative functions were
moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
was designated as the commercial capital of
Sri Lanka. The main city is home to a majority
of the Sri Lanka's corporate offices, restaurants
and entertainment venues. Famous landmarks
in Colombo include The Galle Face Green, the
Viharamahadevi Park as well as the National
Museum.
Portuguese
explorers led by Don Lourenço de Almeida
first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505. During
their initial visit they made a treaty with
the King of Kotte Parakramabahu VIII (1484-1508)
enabling them to trade in the islands' crop
of cinnamon, which lay along the coastal areas
of the island, including in Colombo. As part
of the treaty, the Portuguese were given full
authority over the coast line in exchange
for the promise of guarding the coast against
invaders. They were also allowed to establish
a trading post in Colombo. Within a short
time, however, they then expelled the Muslim
inhabitants of Colombo and began to build
a fort there in 1517.
Although the British captured Colombo
in 1796, it remained a British military outpost
until the Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to them
in 1815 and they made Colombo the capital
of their newly created crown colony of Ceylon.
Unlike the Portuguese and Dutch before them,
whose primary use of Colombo was as a military
fort, the British began constructing houses
and other civilian structures around the fort,
giving rise to the current City of Colombo.
Because of the tremendous impact on the city's
inhabitants and the country at large, the
changes that resulted at the end of the colonial
period were drastic. An entire new culture
took root. Changes in laws and customs, clothing
styles, religions and proper names were a
significant result of the colonial era. These
cultural changes were followed by the strengthening
of the island's economy. Even today, the influence
of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British
is clearly visible in Colombo ’s architecture,
names, clothing, food, language and attitudes.
Buildings from all three eras stand in their
glory as reminders of the turbulent past of
Colombo. The city and its people show an interesting
mix of European clothing and lifestyles together
with local customs. Colombo is by far more
modern than most cities in neighboring countries
and continues to be a blossoming metropolis
of the East.
Historically,
Colombo referred to the area around the Fort
and Pettah Market which is famous
for the variety of products available as well
as the Khan Clock Tower, a local landmark.
Colombo is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural
city. The population of Colombo is a mix of
Sinhalese, Moors and Tamils. There are small
communities of people with Chinese, Portuguese,
Dutch, Malay and Indian origins living here.
Colombo is the most populated city in Sri
Lanka whilst Colombo’s climate is fairly
temperate all throughout the year.
Colombo has most of the amneties that
a modern city has. Majority of the major shopping
malls in Sri Lanka are located in the city.
And all of them are wi-fi enabled. In recent
times there's been an outpour of high rise
condominiums in the city, mainly due to the
very high land prices.
There are several interesting museums and
beautiful parks to view, as well as numerous
noteworthy churches, temples and mosques.
Tasty Sri Lankan food can be found
throughout the city, with major hotels offering
exquisite international cuisine. As in other
areas of Sri Lanka, you will find the Sri
Lankan people extremely friendly to tourists. Attraction
include the two World Trade Center towers,
the Old Parliament Building that stood majestically
in the Fort, the Jami Ul Alfar mosque in the
Pettah, Galle Face Green the city's largest
and most elegant promenade lined with palm
trees and adjacent to the coast, this mile-long
stretch in the heart of the city is a constant
beehive of activity, the National Museum and
National Zoological Gradens
Undoubtedly the most popular sport
in Sri Lanka is cricket. The country emerged
as champions of the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
The sport is played in parks, playgrounds,
beaches and even in the streets of the city.
Colombo is also the home for two of the country's
international cricket stadiums, Sinhalese
Sports Club's cricket stadium and R Premadasa
Stadium (named after late president Premadasa).
Rugby is also a popular sport at the club
and school level. Colombo has the distinction
of being the only city in the world to have
4 cricket Test venues in the past: Sinhalese
Sports Club Ground, Colombo Cricket Club Ground
and Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium Quality is
generally assured at the higher end stores,
if purchasing at other locations, use your
judgment when buying expensive items though
you will find many shops to purchase items
at cheap and affordable prices. If you are
looking for a nightclub in Colombo, your best
bet is to go to one of the upscale hotels
that have their own nightclubs. Most clubs
will charge an entrance fee .On Friday and
Saturday nights, are the most happening in
this part of the country. Have fun and enjoy
the various forms of entertainment Colombo
has to offer you.
