Museums

by ASIFF HUSSEIN There is perhaps no other museum in Sri Lanka that so faithfully reflects traditional Kandyan society and culture as the Kandy National Museum. Situated in close proximity to the Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth in the heart of Kandy town, the museum building goes back …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN Galle has something special about it. It is a blend of both the past and the present, the native and the colonial. It was here that the first Portuguese fleet led by Laurenco De Almeida sailed into the country nearly five centuries ago. It was here that …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN The Sabaragamuwa Province has more to it than meets the eye. Besides its precious stones which have given its fabled capital the name of Ratnapura or ‘City of gems’, its rich gem-bearing alluvia have yielded the discovery of an entirely new extinct fauna for Sri Lanka, among …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN Kotte, the one-time capital of the Sinhalese Kings is slowly waking up from its slumber after centuries of neglect under colonial rule. The city more properly known as Jayawardhanapura Kotte or ‘The Fortress in the Victory-enhancing City’ served as the capital of the Sinhalese Kings from the …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN Anuradhapura, the one time capital of the Sinhalese kingdom would have no doubt surpassed in grandeur most other cities of its time. Situated in the heart of the Rajarata or ‘Kings Country’ in the present-day North Central Province, this ancient metropolis with its multi-storeyed buildings roofed with …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN The idea of a folk museum faithfully reflecting the lifestyle of the rural peasantry is a relatively new concept, especially for a country like Sri Lanka which is more or less obsessed with its archaeological monuments rather than its folk life which actually constitutes the backbone of …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN Little is it known that Sri Lanka’s Dutch heritage still exerts a considerable influence on our national life. Whether it be in the spheres of law, language or cuisine, Dutch influence is still considerable despite the fact that the Hollanders left our golden shores centuries ago. Their …

By ASIFF HUSSEIN A museum especially dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Sri Lankan Muslims has been a long felt need, especially in a context where artefacts connected with the culture and lifestyle of the local Muslims are hardly if ever represented in other national museums including the Colombo …

by ASIFF HUSSEIN It is perhaps Sri Lanka’s largest private museum with a priceless collection of antiques and trivia going back to centuries, but the Historical Mansion Museum as it is called had a very humble origin. It was a little over a decade ago that its owner Abdul Gaffar …

Sri Lanka Army Museum by ASIFF HUSSEIN The Sri Lanka Army has come a long way since the days of the British Raj when it was a largely ceremonial force known as the Ceylon Light Infantry though it did see some action during the two world wars, not to mention …