The formal capital is Sri Jayavardanapura, and the country's commercial center is Colombo. Sri Lanka is an island-type country founded by Arab merchants, and later fortified by the Portuguese, then conquered by the Dutch. It has a very interesting rich heritage story. And first of all, the amazing city of Colombo rebuilt by the British is interesting. Sri Lanka, with a population of about thirty million people, consists of nine provinces. Once upon a time, the island was inhabited by the ancestors of the Vedas. Today, the main inhabitants are Sinhala and Tamil.
Is Colombo the capital of Sri Lanka?
Although Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where the Supreme Court and Parliament are located, is designated as the main city on maps, the President’s residence is located in the center of the country's western district, the city of Colombo. Sri Lanka, whose locals have long considered it to be its actual capital, is known for its interesting traditions. Equally built in the old colonial and modern styles, it is a real business center. On the one hand, this city is the heritage of the Portuguese with the Dutch and English, making itself felt in monuments and temples, in names and clothes, as well as in food and knowledge of languages. The modern buildings of large shopping and commercial centers, five-star hotels, night clubs are the other side of Colombo. Sri Lanka, which attracts tourists from all over the world, is proud of the unique appearance of its main city, in which skyscrapers are adjacent to old mansions built in the colonial style, as well as to many ancient ancient temples.
History of the city
The name of this city is translated from Sinhala as “mango harbor”. Chinese and Arab, as well as Roman merchants, about two millennia ago, very often visited the Colombo pier. Sri Lanka in the eighth century became a place where the Arabs were settled for a long time. They controlled almost the entire sea trade of the then undeveloped Sinhala kingdoms. In the sixteenth century the Portuguese arrived here. They altered the name of the city, naming it in honor of Christopher Columbus. But already in the next century he was captured by the Dutch. Since 1802, Colombo has been the capital of a British colony called Ceylon. In 1972, the capital of Sri Lanka, but since 1983 it was officially transferred to Sri Jayawardendenura.
Local climate
The climate of Colombo, located at sea level, is subequatorial. The air temperature here stably stays somewhere around 25-27 degrees. Precipitation in it is not uncommon, especially in May and November, which are the rainiest months of the year. Tourist high and low seasons in this city are formed under the influence of rains, as well as periods of major holidays. Two rainy periods stand out here: April-June, and also September-November, which are considered not the most convenient time for visiting and relaxing. The driest season and peak season are December-March. During the summer months - in July and August - there is also little rainfall.
Colombo Attractions
Historically, both the Greeks and the Persians with the Romans, the Arabs with the Portuguese, the British and the Dutch had a hand in the development of this city. Almost all of these cultures today are reflected in its appearance. The city has many mosques, temples and cathedrals. The most famous of them, Kelania Raja, is an excellent example of Sinhalese art and architecture.
Kelania Raja
This monument of ancient architecture was completed at the beginning of the last century, however, the first mention of it dates back to the third century BC. The frescoes that adorn his walls tell of the many lives of Buddha, his visit to Kelania, as well as legends and myths. The ancient temple is located just nine kilometers from Colombo. It attracts many tourists. Since 1927, the Perahera festival has been organized here in January, dedicated to the Buddha visiting this place after the eighth year of enlightenment. With a grand procession of elephants and drummers, as well as acrobats and swallowers of fire, the organizers turn the holiday into one of the most colorful. In a way, this is a large procession - a procession in which many residents of the country participate.
What to see in Colombo
In the list of places designated for mandatory visits to tourists, a Hindu temple called Katiseran, located in the Pettah district, is also mentioned. It is dedicated to Skanda - the god of war. Sri Ponnambala Vanesvarram Temple, built of amazing South Indian granite along with Sri Bala Selva Murti are other Colombo attractions. Sri Lanka is generally known as a place where many shrines have been built dedicated to Shiva and Ganesha. They are called "cowls." Other interesting architectural monuments are the Cathedral of St. Lucia and the Temple of Peter and Anthony, as well as the Sri Lanka mosque, called Jamul Alfar. In the suburbs of Colombo, there is a zoo, considered the best in Asia. It has a huge aquarium, which is home to more than five hundred marine animals, a butterfly park and an arboretum. However, the daily evening show of trained elephants is most interesting. The Colombo National Museum, which was founded in the nineteenth century, deserves no less attention. It is considered the oldest in the country. Here are more than four thousand manuscripts written on palm leaves, as well as sculptures and paintings, a collection of weapons and bronze ware. The Colombo Art Gallery exhibits the best works of many local artists.
"Fort"
Considered the main district of the city, this commercial center in colonial time was the main military fortification. It is very beautiful and crowded during daylight hours, and quite deserted at night. Once upon a time in this cape, when the capital Ceylon was located here, there really was a fort with a real fortress, cannons, a moat and powerful walls. Now all that’s left is just one name and a spacious beautiful promenade - Galle Face Green, which is a favorite place for walking and the best spot for tasting street food. The main attraction here is the clock tower. It was built one hundred and fifty years ago as a lighthouse. “Fort” is fully built up with banks and shops, representative offices of many airlines, hotels and office buildings. There are many beautiful buildings of the colonial period.
Shopping in Colombo
Located close to the Fort and its direct opposite, the Pettah district is considered the main bazaar of the city. On its narrow and cobbled streets, consisting of small shops, you can find an incredible variety of the most interesting products. Petah is the noisiest, colorful and most populous area in Colombo. Each lane has its own specialization. For example, household items can be purchased on Keyzer Street, Prince Lane is known for mirrors and glassware. Ayurveda, who come here a lot, buy medicinal plants on Gabo. On Sea Street, jewelry shops are all over the place. And of course, Petah is the country's famous fish and vegetable markets.
More civilized shopping is offered to tourists in shopping centers built in recent years in the actual capital of Sri Lanka, such as Arena, Liberty Plaza, etc., with exclusive boutiques and huge supermarkets.
Colombo Hotels
The gate of Sri Lanka for many travelers personifies precisely its actual capital. Many people prefer to stay in Colombo on the way to the numerous resorts of this island. However, those who simply pass through it without stopping at least for a day lose their pleasure in knowing this diverse and very interesting city.
Colombo is famous for its upscale hotels such as Hilton Colombo Residence, Grand Oriental Hotel, Hotel Galadari and others. All of them are located on the seafront and offer a full range of services: restaurants and pools, casinos and fitness centers, bars and nightclubs, business centers and conference rooms and much more, which will allow a person not only to relax, but also to usefully spend time. Along with expensive luxury hotels in the city there are a lot of budget hotels, the service in which is directly proportional to the price. As a rule, all of them are small and built right on the shore. These Colombo hotels are individually designed, but all of them, organically fitting into the natural landscape, reflect the traditions and customs of the local culture. In each of them, tourists are offered their own programs designed for entertainment and relaxation of their guests. These are theme nights and fashion shows, cultural and ethnic performances, barbecue under the moon, exciting fishing and picnics, numerous excursions and much more. Almost all hotels offer tourists a wide selection of water sports, such as windsurfing and water skiing, scuba diving, as well as fishing in the open sea. In Colombo, as well as throughout the country, the voltage in the mains is 210-240 volts with sockets according to the British model - three-pin, grounded. Therefore, to connect a computer or household appliances at the reception, an adapter is necessarily offered.
Infrastructure
Colombo has a deep-water harbor with an area of two hundred and fifty hectares and protected by jetties. Near the port is located the "Fort" area. Colombo is considered the largest industrial and cultural center of the country. The port of Colombo is the largest in South Asia. The architecture of the city is also interesting, which is distinguished by beautiful and unusual buildings. The international airport, named after Solomon Bandaranaike, is thirty kilometers from Colombo. The railway and highways the city is connected with all areas of the country.
The city has a university, an observatory, several colleges, a national museum, many mosques, churches and temples.
Holidays in Colombo
Colombo is famous among travelers for its rather interesting “excursion program”. No less tourists are attracted here by the warm ocean with interesting diving. The magnificent beaches of Colombo are always full of people who want to sunbathe and swim. There is a safe ecology and a rich wildlife: crocodiles up to eight meters long are found in the Kelani River, at the mouth of which the city is located. And along the shores are white storks and pink flamingos, bright peacocks and colorful parrots.
Divers from all over the world in Colombo are attracted by the variety of corals and marine inhabitants with unusual names: Moorish idols, angel fish and parrots. There are many dolphins and whale sharks that can be found in March and April. However, the main feature of diving is a visit to the grottoes, underwater cliffs and the cemetery of sunken ships. Nearly twenty dead in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries of ships, sunk at depths from eight to thirty meters, are open for inspection here. Many of them are quite well preserved, so experienced divers even manage to swim inside. Those who do not want to travel far from the city, but want to soak up the golden sands, it is better to go to Mount Lavinia - a beach area, which was adorned with a small hotel built in 1810 for private use by the family of the then Governor of Colombo. On the ocean shore there are small bathing houses that can be rented for a day. Hookers strolling around sell fresh pineapple or coconut juice, colorful shells and local souvenirs. This is one of the most popular holiday destinations, which is famous not only for the main city, but also all of Sri Lanka. Colombo, reviews of his stay in which is always full of enthusiasm, has, according to some, the only drawback: it’s far to fly. For Russians coming to Sri Lanka for a period of not more than thirty days, a visa is opened for free at the entrance.