Top 5 Must See Places in Colombo

Colombo is located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka Island, bordering the Indian Ocean. Colombo is the old capital of Sri Lanka; the new capital had moved to Kotte in the 1980s. Until now, most of the capital's functional institutions have remained in Colombo. Therefore, in the impression of most people, Colombo is still the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is the largest city and business center in Sri Lanka, known as the gateway of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a typical seaside city in Southeast Asia, with beautiful coastal scenery. When visitors come to Colombo, what are the attractions worth seeing? Top Asia Tour would like to recommend the following must-see places in Colombo for your reference.

Must see places in Colombo - Independence Square

• Location: 854 Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Entrance fee: free
   

Colombo Independence Square is located in the center of Colombo, on the east side of Colombo University. It is the iconic cultural square of Colombo. The Independence Square in Colombo was built in 1948 as a venue for Sri Lanka's independence ceremony to commemorate Sri Lanka's breakaway from British colonial rule. Hence, Independence Square is regarded as a must-see place in Colombo. The monument on the Independence Square is a full-length statue of Don Stephen Senanayake, the first prime minister of the Ceylon Autonomous Leader and leader of the National Independence Movement.


 

There is an Independence Memorial Hall in the center of the Independence Square. The design of the memorial hall is a typical Sri Lankan style. The Independence Memorial Hall is modeled on the hall where the royal family of the Kandy dynasty received the hajj. The pillars of the memorial hall are engraved with elephants and lions, which describe the history of Sri Lankan Buddhism. There is also a small museum next to the Independence Memorial Hall. Around the Independence Memorial Hall, visitors could see 60 stone-carved lions. These lion statues symbolize the Sinhalese people, and each lion represents a king of Sri Lanka in history. The various shapes of lion stone sculptures fully reflect the style of the traditional culture of Kandy in Sri Lanka.



Local people often visit Colombo Independence Square, and students from nearby schools often come for activities. Colombo Independence Square can be regarded as the most visited square, and it forms a scenic area with the surrounding shopping centers. The memorial hall is very cool, and it is a good place to escape the heat. Many tourist buses could stop at Independence Square, tuk-tuk and sightseeing buses can be seen everywhere. There are many shops in the small white building next to the square, which is a shopping center.
 

♦ How to get to the Colombo Independence Square

Visitors could take the bus and get off at Campus Bus Stop or Torington Bus Stop, then walking about 5mins could reach Independence Square.

Must see places in Colombo - Colombo National Museum

• Location: Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka
• Entrance fee：1200Rs
   

Colombo National Museum is the oldest museum in Sri Lanka. Located in the center of Colombo, the Colombo National Museum is also known as the Sri Lanka National Museum. The Colombo National Museum includes a history museum and a biological museum. The Colombo National Museum is a good place for tourists to learn about Sri Lankan history and culture. Therefore, it has become one of the must-see places in Colombo.


 

Colombo National Museum was established in 1877. The new building was completed in 1980. It is a white European-style building with 2 floors and a total of more than 20 exhibition halls. The Colombo National Museum houses precious cultural relics from various historical periods in Sri Lanka, including various stone statues, bronze statues, precious stones, weapons, paintings, and various woven products, metal products, folk handicrafts of the Kandy Dynasty, as well as the armor of the last King of Kandy, etc. There is also the throne of lions shipped from Kandy, and Chinese porcelain unearthed from various places.
 

♦ How to get to the Colombo National Museum

Visitors could take bus and get off at Glass House Bus Stop.

Must see places in Colombo - Seema Malaka Temple

• Location: 61 Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo, 00200, Siri Lank
• Entrance fee: 300Rs
   

Seema Malaka Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Colombo. Located in the urban area of Colombo, it is the resident monastery of Sri Lankan religious leaders and managed by a group of local influential monks. Seema Malaka Temple has high prestige in the local area, and many Buddhists will come to worship.




Seema Malaka Temple has a library, museum, dormitory and a three-story Buddhist college. The architectural style of the temple combines many countries' architectural characteristics, such as Siri Lanka, India, Thailand and China. There is a bodhi tree in the Seema Malaka Temple, which symbolizes the inheritance of Buddhism. Beside the bodhi tree, the Buddhist five-color flags are fluttering in the wind. Visitors can see the bodhi tree and the Buddha room through the atrium of the temple, both indispensable elements of Sri Lanka Buddhist temples.

Tourists can see the fusion of different Buddhist cultures and also experience the local Buddhist culture, hence the Seema Malaka Temple becomes a must-see place in Colombo. The Seema Malaka Temple houses several tall Buddha statues and huge ivory, as well as Buddhist relics, jewelry, pure gold and ivory artifacts, some Buddha statues from Japan, Myanmar, Thailand and other places. The ivory and ivory products are donated by Buddhist believers. At present, Sri Lanka prohibits people from buying and selling ivory without permission. People cannot collect any ivory products. The ivory products displayed in the temple have a special license so the visitors could see them.

♦ How to get to the Seema Malaka Temple

Visitors could take the bus and get off at Gangarama Bus Stop.

Must see places in Colombo - Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque

• Location: No.228 2nd Cross Street, Colombo 01100
• Entrance fee: free
   

Located near Beta Market, the Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque is also called the Red Mosque. It is a red and white brick building that was completed in 1908. The Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque is one of the landmark buildings in Colombo. Known as one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, the Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque is one of the must-see places in Colombo.


 

As a Buddhist country, 69% of Sri Lankan residents believe in Buddhism, 15% believe in Hinduism, 8% believe in Christianity, and 7% believe in Islam. There are more than 2,000 mosques across the country, and the Red Mosque is unique among them. The Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque uses red and white tones and has a distinct Indian architectural type. Compared with the light mosques of other places, it looks like a gorgeous fairytale castle.
 

The Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque is only open to men, and female tourists can only appreciate the beauty of this Islamic building from outside the door. It is best to avoid Friday when tourists visit the mosque, because there will be a lot of Muslims at this time, the entire market is overcrowded, and traffic is congested.
 

♦ How to get to the Seema Malaka Temple

The visitors could rent tuk-tuk to go to the Beta Market first, then walk 15mins through the Beta market to the Seema Malaka Temple.