Colombo Fort colourfully weaves together colonial history, premium leisure experiences and bustling trade, into Sri Lanka’s business epicentre.

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Gangaramaya Temple

The Most Visited temple in the city, the Gangaramaya Temple which organizes Sri Lanka’s largest and the most colourful Vesak festival annually, has a history of 120 years. It was established in 1885 by Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera at a time when Buddhist and cultural resurgence were much needed as the country was under the colonial rule.

The area that was once a swamp beside the Beira Lake, has now turned to be an iconic complex which consists of the temple, the assembly hall in the breathtaking lake and the vocational training institute. Earlier, devotees had to cross the Beira Lake on a boat in order to reach the then small temple which was converted to what is today by the Devundara Sri Jinaratana Nayake Thera, a pupil of Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera who appointed him as the chief incumbent of the temple.

Red Mosque

The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, also known as the Red Mosque (not to be confused with the Red Mosque of New Delhi), is one of Colombo’s oldest mosques. The Arabs arrived for the first time in Sri Lanka for trade in the 7th century AD..

As olden day Ceylon was a hub for trade and was right in the middle of the spice and silk routes; they maintained a constant presence in Sri Lanka since that time by either migrating or intermarrying with the locals. Most Islamic communities settled in Colombo or Galle where the main ports were located; and to this day their descendants continue their lives in these areas.

Galle Face Green

Located in the heart of the business capital of of the country; Colombo, the Galle Face Green in Sri Lanka is a five hectare ocean-side urban park, which stretches for a half kilometre along the coast.

It is a magnificent place to witness a marvelous sun set over western coast of Sri lanka. The area was initially put to plan and laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today.

The Galle Face Green in Sri Lanka was initially used for many recreational activities. These include activities such as horse racing and golf. It was also used as an area to play cricket, polo, football tennis and rugby.