Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka has been nominated “Must Photograph Travel Destination” for the year 2019 by research on more than 1.3M social media posts conducted by Huawei.

Accidental City

Colombo, it has been said, is an accident inflicted on the islanders. Its establishment and initial growth had little to do with the indigenous population, something unusual with the other capital cities. Instead, it had been an array of foreign merchants and mariners, colonizers and proselytizers, administrators and military men, who really created Colombo and gave it an identity, first as a fort and later as a garden city.

Port City

Colombo was developed as a port city in the 16th century by the inversion of the Portuguese. The Arab traveller Ibn Batuta travelled Sri Lanka in the 14th century AD, and referred to Colombo as “Kalanpu”. However, the Chinses traveller, Faxian has written about Colombo port in the 5th century AD. He referred to it as “Gaolanbu”. Hence it is cleared that there was a port near the mouth of the Kelani River on the western part of the island and due to its location along the East-West sea route Colombo Port was known to ancient traders 2000 years ago.

The native Sri Lankans referred to Colombo as “Kolon Thota” with the meaning of port on the river Kelani. The name Colombo was first created by the Portuguese derived from the word Kolon Thota. There is another opinion suggested that due to huge mango tree full of leaves near the port referred to as Kola-Amba-Thota with the meaning of “port with leafy mango tree” converted to Colombo by the Portuguese. During the Dutch period, the coat of arms of Colombo depicts a mango tree by giving more weight to the second opinion.

Arab Traders

During the 8th century AD, Arab traders who have already traded with the Sinhalese Kingdom settled around the present port area with the prime intention of a smooth trading environment. They controlled the trade between Sinhalese Kingdoms and outside the world.

Portuguese Period

The Portuguese, who first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505 made a treaty with the King of Kotte to trade the crop of cinnamon which grown along the coastal area including Colombo. According to the treaty, the Portuguese were allowed to establish a Trading Post in Colombo.

Colombo Fort

Sooner-than-later the Portuguese realize that control over Sri Lanka has extremely essential to maintain and protect their sea born trading and coastal establishments in India. Hence the Portuguese have withdrawn the Arab settler around the port and start to build a fort in 1517. At the same time, they took the control of a large area that belongs to the Kotte Kingdom. Finally, the Portuguese were able to establish full control over the coastal area of Sri Lanka in 1593. They nominated Colombo as their capital. However, the Portuguese were paid minimum attention to develop Colombo as a capital city and mainly focus on Colombo port and port related trading activities. The urban activities, administration and trading were monitored and control from inside the fort. All the streets were ended at the citadel wall. The Colombo fort was built by the Portuguese is still known as Colombo Fort between the present-day Colombo Harbour and Beira lake. Most of the present-day five-star hotels were located in the ancient Colombo fort area. The area outside the fort referred to as Pettah was the main commercial area.

Dutch Period

Around 1603 another colonial power of the Dutch has influenced Sri Lanka. Initially, the Dutch had helped the Kandy kingdom to oust the Portuguese from Sri Lanka. In 1638 the Dutch made a treaty with the Kandy kingdom to support the war against the Portuguese. In return, the monopoly of trading goods was taken by the Dutch. The Portuguese start their resistance vigorously however, the Dutch was able to capture Portuguese strongholds step by step and finally captured the Colombo in 1656. Finally, the Dutch gained control of all the lands controlled by the Portuguese and ruled the country except the Kandy kingdom under the Dutch East Indian Company until 1796.

The Dutch were extended the Colombo city limits up to Modara, Slave Island and Pettah. They developed Colombo as an urbanized capital city conserving the natural environment. Official residences were taking inside the fort area while working communities were settled in the Slave Island area.

British Period

The third wave of colonial influence was blown in 1796 when the British captured the Colombo. Till 1815 Colombo was only the British military outpost. Colombo becomes the capital of the crown colony of Sri Lanka in 1815 while the British were ceded the Kandy kingdom. The British started to construct houses and other civilian structures around the Colombo fort that are essential as a capital city. Much of the present-day Colombo city was planned during the British colonial period.

During the 19th Century, Colombo enjoyed a growth that mirrored the expansion of the island's economy. This growth was accelerated once the new breakwater was inaugurated within the 1870s. As a result of that more passenger traffic was aroused and more hotels were constructed. One such hotel is Grand Oriental, Colombo opened in 1875 still functioning.

The deep influence of European culture in Colombo has been embodied in many buildings and churches inbuilt in the colonial era.

Old Colombo Dutch Hospital building

The hospital established by the Dutch in 1681 to serve officials and staff of the Dutch East India Company in Sri Lanka and their seafarers was located at the heart of the Colombo Fort. It was the oldest colonial building in Colombo. This 17th century Dutch colonial architectural building was designed with five wings creating two courtyards to maintain a comfortable environment within the hospital. 

This oldest colonial building was resurrected by maintaining original architecture and converted to a shopping and dining precinct in 2011. The Sri Lanka restaurant named Ministry of Crab, one of Asia’s 50 best restaurants since 2015 founded by veteran Sri Lankan cricketers of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara was located in this Old Colombo Dutch hospital precinct.

Wolvendaal Church

This is the only Dutch church in Sri Lanka that has been continually using. It is located in Pettah. The construction of the church was started in 1749 and completed and opened on 6th March 1757. The church was built in the ancient Greek architectural style called Doric style. The walls of the church have a 1.5 m thickness made out of Kabok bricks (clay ironstone) with coral and lime plaster. The church chairs belonged to the 17th and 18th centuries made out of ebony and calamander is still in use.

Dutch House, Present Colombo Dutch museum

The present Colombo Dutch museum located at Prince street, Colombo-11 was a 17th-century colonial building referred to as “Dutch House” at that time. It was the official residence of the Dutch governor, Thomas Van Rhee during 1692 – 1697. Afterwards, it was used for different purposes. Once it was used as an orphanage under Dutch East-India company, then as a hospital. In the 1850s it was a barracks. Early 1900 it was a Police training school before it becomes Pettah Post office in 1932. Part of the inner wall was collapsed in 1972 and the building was abandoned. 

The resurrection of this building was started in 1977 with the assistance of the Netherland Government. The renovation was done maintaining the Dutch colonial townhouse architectural features. It was opened as a Colombo Dutch museum in 1982. The museum opens daily except Friday. This museum is located in a highly congested area with boutiques, stores, and street sellers. However, you can experience true urban culture in Sri Lanka by walking through the busy streets of this museum.

St. Lucia’s Cathedral

It is said that the small and rustic structure of the church was built by Oratorian fathers in 1760 on a hill site in Kotahena. In 1782 this rustic structure was replaced with a new structure with bricks and mortar. Around 1820 this church becomes the principal church in Colombo and the headquarters of Oratorian fathers in Sri Lanka. In1838 it was evaluated to cathedral status. The present Gothic architectural style building construction was planned in1872 and completed and open for public worship in 1889. Today it is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo.

Queen’s Building, the present President House

The old Queen’s building the present President House located at the Queen’s road in Colombo Fort was constructed in 1856. The first building in this location was constructed by the Dutch and referred to as “Government House”. At the end of the Dutch rule in Sri Lanka in 1804, the British Governors have occupied that building. The old building was demolished somewhere around the 1850s and the present building was constructed and become the residence of the British Governors in Sri Lanka.

Today the security force persons stand at attention on sentry duty with their ceremonial regimental colours and uniform at the entrance of this mansion. It is a fascinating scene to capture a snapshot.

Old General Post Office building

This unique colonial building was located in front of the then Governor’s residence of Queen’s House, the present President House in Janadhipathi Mawata, Colombo Fort. The two-storey Edwardian Style building was designed by the architect, Herbert Frederick Tomalin who is working for the Public Workers Department at that period. The foundation stone was laid on 29th August 1891 and completed on July 1895. From 1895 to the year 2000 General Post Office, Sri Lanka functioned there. Sri Lanka’s first telegraph and telephone exchange and the first public telephone booth were operated there.

Central Point Building

This was formerly known as the National Mutual Building where the Colombo head office of a global insurance company had functioned. The construction of the building was started in 1911 and completed and opened in 1914. This seven-storey building was the tallest in Colombo at the time of its opening. and was decorated with the tallest chandelier in Asia.

Unfortunately, this colonial building was severely damaged from the bomb attack on the Central bank of Sri Lanka by the LTTE in 1996. In 2011 Central Bank of Sri Lanka acquired this building and completely renovated and established the Economic History Museum of Sri Lanka commonly known as the Currency Museum. The Old Colombo lighthouse (Colombo Fort Clock Tower) was located next to this building and has considered the central point of the country's road network. Therefore, this building was nominated as the Central Point Building.

Colombo National Museum building

The Colombo National Museum building was designed by James George Smither, an architect of the Public Works Department, and constructed by Arasi Marikar Wapchie Marikar. This two-storeyed building with verandas, arches, and pillars is a classic example of Italian architectural style in Sri Lanka. The construction was commenced in 1873 and completed in 1876. The museum was declared open on 1st January 1877 by the British governor of Ceylon,

Sir William Henry Gregory. The Colombo National Museum, the largest in Sri Lanka, holds artefacts belonging to Sri Lankan history, culture, and nature.

Old Town Hall building

This was located at the heart of the ever-busy Pettah market area. This building and the adjacent Edinburgh hall were built in 1873 as the first civic building in Colombo. These two buildings were designed by James George Smither, an architect of the Public Works Department. He designed the furniture of the building as well to match the woodwork of the building. The buildings belonged to the neo-Gothic (Victoria Gothic) architectural style that originated in England. The town hall building was used as the head office of the Colombo Municipal Council from 1873 – 1924. The Edinburgh hall was used to play street plays and dramas. 

These two buildings were renovated in the early 1980s and the adjoining building was converted to a museum. The Edinburgh hall was converted to an Edinburgh market for street hawkers to sell their products. A municipal council meeting in the early 1900s was restored by using dummies and original wooden furniture at the upstairs of the town hall building.

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