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Colombo

Colombo

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Colombo

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Sambodhi Chaitiya SHRiNE
(Map p60; Marine Dr, Col 1) Just north of the
lighthouse, you won’t be able to miss this
bombastic white dagoba (stupa) perched
about 20m off the ground on huge, incon-
gruous curving concrete ‘legs’ so that sailors
could see it from offshore.

Clock Tower lANDMARK
(Map p60; Janadhipathi Mawatha, Col 1) The clock
tower at the junction of Chatham St and
Janadhipathi Mawatha (once Queen St) was
originally a lighthouse that was built in 1857.
It’s now right at the heart of officialdom and
you can expect a few watchful guards.

Central Point HiSTORiC BUilDiNg
(Map p60; Chatham St, Col 1; hmuseum 8.30am-
4pm Mon-Fri) F Chatham St is seeing a
lot of renovation of old buildings, one of
the grandest being the old colonnaded 1914
Central Bank building called Central Point.
The beautifully restored interior is a riot of
Greco-Roman detailing and features the
tallest chandelier in Asia. There’s also a mu-
seum of local money that’s worth the time
simply for the display on why bartering a
cow for fish was a bad idea, thus leading to
the invention of currency.

Lloyd’s Buildings HiSTORiC BUilDiNg

(Map p60; Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha, Col

1) Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha has the

grandly restored Lloyd’s Buildings. Several

other imposing colonial piles on the street

are also being renovated, recreating the re-

gal air of when this was the fiscal heart of

Ceylon.

Cargills Main Store HiSTORiC BUilDiNg

(Map p60; York St, Col 1) Local retail giant Car-

gills once had its main store on York St. The

now mostly empty ornate 1906 red building

still shows its faded elegance in its long

arcades with old store signage such as the

one noting ‘toilet requisites’. Ground-floor

colonnades like those found here were once

a feature across colonial Colombo, allowing

people to get around sheltered from mon-

soon deluges.

St Peter’s Church CHURCH

(Map p60; Col 1; h7am-5pm Tue-Sun) Reached

along the arcade on the north side of the

Grand Oriental Hotel, this converted Dutch

governor’s banquet hall was first used as

a church in 1821. Inside it has an original

wood ceiling and myriad plaques attesting

to its work with seamen through the years.

COLOMBO’S MAIN NEIGHBOURHOODS

Colombo is split into 15 postal-code areas, which are often used to identify the specific districts. Pet-

tah, for example, is also referred to as Colombo 11 (or just Col 11) and so on. The main areas of interest:

DISTRICTSUBURB

Col 1 Fort The revitalised centre of the city; historic and chic

Col 2 Slave Island Not an island at all (though it really was used for keeping slaves in the

Dutch colonial era); some of Colombo’s oldest – and most threatened – historic areas

are here, including Union Pl

Col 3 Kollupitiya The dense commercial heart of the city, with myriad shops, hotels and

businesses along galle Rd

Col 4 Bambalapitiya An extension of Col 3

Col 5 Havelock Town gentrifying southern extension of Col 4

Col 6 Wellawatta More commercial sprawl south along galle Rd; inland, Pamankade

is a newly stylish enclave

Col 7 Cinnamon Gardens Colombo’s swankiest district has the National Museum, Vihara-

mahadevi Park, old colonial mansions and trendy shops and cafes

Col 8 Borella The quieter eastern extension of Cinnamon gardens

Col 11 Pettah Old quarter just east of Fort, with thriving markets

Col 13 Kotahena Alongside the port north of Pettah; home to old neighbourhoods and

important religious buildings