Hotels in Colombo
Hotels in Colombo are often needed for tourists who need a place to stay. Some may want to stay at cheap or luxury hotels in the city. Some may want to stay at large or small hotels in the city. Some may want to stay at old or new hotels in the city. Some may want to stay at hotels that reflect the culture of Colombo. Some may want to stay in the city of Colombo to see the architecture of the city. Some may want to stay at hotels that have access to scenery and to culture. Some may want to stay at well known hotels in Colombo.
Hotels in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo are often required for tourists who require short term accommodation. Some may want to stay at high quality hotels in the city. Some may want to stay at hotels that have access to scenery and to culture. Some may want to stay at hotels that have access to scenery and to tourist attractions.
Colombo is the largest city and former administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the present administrative capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins.
The name "Colombo", first introduced by the Portuguese in 1505, is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhalese name Kolon thota, meaning port on the river Kelani". It has also been suggested that the name may be derived from the Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means Harbour with leafy mango trees.
Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However it was only made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
Like many cities, Colombo's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single local authority, encompassing other Municipal and Urban Councils. The main city is home to a majority of the Sri Lanka's corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues. Famous landmarks in Colombo include the Galle Face Green, the Viharamahadevi Park as well as the National Museum.
As Colombo possesses a natural harbour, it was known to Romans, Arabs, and Chinese traders over 2,000 years ago. Traveller Ibn Batuta who visited the island in the 14th century, referred to it as Kalanpu. Arabian Muslims whose prime interests were trade, began to settle in Colombo around the 8th century CE mostly because the port helped their business and controlled much of the trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. They now comprise the local Sri Lankan Moor community.
Portuguese explorers led by Dom Lourenço de Almeida first arrived
in Sri Lanka in 1505. During their initial visit they made a treaty with the King
of Kotte Parakramabahu VIII (1484-1508) enabling them to trade in the islands'
crop of cinnamon, which lay along the coastal areas of the island, including in
Colombo. As part of the treaty, the Portuguese were given full authority over
the coast line in exchange for the promise of guarding the coast against invaders.
They were also allowed to establish a trading post in Colombo. Within a short
time, however, they then expelled the Muslim inhabitants of Colombo and began
to build a fort there in 1517.
Colombo's colonial heritage is visible throughout
the city, as in the historical Wolvendaal church, established by the Dutch in
1749The Portuguese soon realized that control of Sri Lanka was necessary for protection
of their coastal establishments in India and they began to manipulate the rulers
of the Kotte Kingdom in order to gain control of the area. After skilfully exploiting
rivalries within the Royal Family, they took control of a large area of the Kingdom
and the Sinhalese King Mayadunne established a new Kingdom at Sitawaka, a domain
in the Kotte kingdom. Before long he annexed much of the Kotte kingdom and forced
the Portuguese to retreat to Colombo, which was repeatedly besieged by Mayadunne
and the later Kings of Sitawaka, forcing them to seek reinforcement from their
major base in Goa, India. However, following the fall of the Kingdom in 1593,
the Portuguese were able to establish complete control over the entire coastal
area, with Colombo as their capital.
In 1638 the Dutch signed a treaty
with King Rajasinha II of Kandy which assured the king assistance in his war against
the Portuguese in exchange for a monopoly of the island's major trade goods. The
Portuguese resisted the Dutch and the Kandyans, but were gradually defeated in
their strongholds beginning in 1639. The Dutch captured Colombo in 1656 after
an epic siege, at the end of which a mere 93 Portuguese survivors were given safe
conduct out of the fort. Although the Dutch initially restored the captured area
back to the Sinhalese Kings, they later refused to turn them over and gained control
over the island's richest cinnamon lands including Colombo which then served as
the capital of the Dutch maritime provinces under the control of the Dutch East
India Company until 1796.
Dutch engraving of Colombo in about 1680
Although the British captured Colombo in 1796, it remained a British military outpost until the Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to them in 1815 and they made Colombo the capital of their newly created crown colony of Ceylon. Unlike the Portuguese and Dutch before them, whose primary use of Colombo was as a military fort, the British began constructing houses and other civilian structures around the fort, giving rise to the current City of Colombo.
Initially, they placed the administration of the city under a Collector, and John Macdowell of the Madras Service was the first to hold the office. Then, in 1833, the Government Agent of the Western Province was charged with the administration of the city. Centuries of colonial rule had meant a decline of indigenous administration of Colombo, and in 1865 the British conceived a Municipal Council as a means of training the local population in self governance. The Legislative Council of Ceylon constituted the Colombo Municipal Council in 1865 and the Council met for the first time on the January 16, 1866. At the time, the population of the region was around 80,000.
During the time they were in control of the Colombo, the British were responsible for much of the planning of the present city. In some parts of the city tram car tracks and granite flooring laid during the era are still visible today.
This era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948 when Ceylon gained independence from Britain. Due to the tremendous impact this caused on the city's inhabitants and on the country as a whole, the changes that resulted at the end of the colonial period were drastic. An entire new culture took root. Changes in laws and customs, clothing styles, religions and proper names were a significant result of the colonial era. These cultural changes were followed by the strengthening of the island's economy. Even today, the influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British is clearly visible in Colombo’s architecture, names, clothing, food, language and attitudes. Buildings from all three eras stand in their glory as reminders of the turbulent past of Colombo. The city and its people show an interesting mix of European clothing and lifestyles together with local customs. Colombo is by far more modern than most cities in neighbouring countries and continues to be a blossoming metropolis of the East.
Historically, Colombo referred to the area around the Fort and Pettah Market which is famous for the variety of products available as well as the Khan Clock Tower, a local landmark. At present, it refers to the city limits of the Colombo Municipal Council. More often, the name is used for the Conurbation known as Greater Colombo, which encompasses several Municipal councils including Kotte, Dehiwela and Colombo.
Although Colombo
lost its status as the capital of Sri Lanka in the 1980s, it continues to be the
island's commercial centre. Despite the official capital of Sri Lanka moving to
the adjacent Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte, most countries still maintain their diplomatic
missions in Colombo.
Colombo's geography is a mix of land and water. The city has many canals and, in the heart of the city, the 65-hectare ( Beira Lake. The lake is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Colombo, and was used for centuries by colonists to defend the city. It remains a popular attraction, hosting regattas, and theatrical events on its shores. The Northern and North-Eastern border of the city of Colombo is formed by the Kelani River, which meets the sea in a part of the city known as the Modera (mo-dara in Sinhala) which means river delta.
Hotels in Colombo Hotels in Colombo Hotels in Colombo
Hotels in Colombo
An Index with links to almost all our sites
Apartments for Rent in Manhattan
Hotels in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
Apartments
for Rent in Manhattan