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Principal
Cities |
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Pettah
Most of the city of Colombo's commercial and wholesale activities
take place in the colourful bazaars of Pettah.
Fort
This is the economic hub of the country and many offices and important
government buildings are located here.
Galle
The port town of Galle is Sri Lanka's fourth biggest town with 80,000
people. In 1505, a Portuguese fleet bound for Maldives blew off course,
forcing them to take shelter in the Galle Harbour. The events which
followed, drastically changed the course of Sri Lankan history. In
1598, the Portuguese built a small fort which was later extended.
However, when the Dutch took over in 1640, they destroyed all traces
of Portuguese presence. In 1663, the Dutch built the 36-hectare Fort,
which is now a World Heritage Site.
Kataragama
This is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka for
Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Kataragama is a huge complex containing
buildings representing all three religions.
Matara
It is a lively town with a historic background. Matara has a Dutch
Fort called the Star Fort and an 18th century Dutch rampart that was
built to protect the Dutch East Trading Company's administrative buildings.
This rampart now effectively acts as a boundary to the Old Matara,
which is quiet and picturesque.
Ratnapura
'The city of gems is 101 km (63 miles) from Colombo. It is situated
in the 'low-country', among tea and rubber estates and paddy fields.
The gem museum and gem mines are a special attraction here.
Precious and semi-precious stones found here include:
Alexandrite, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Blue Sapphire, Cat's Eye, Crystal,
Garnet, Moonstone, Ruby, Star Sapphire, Topaz, Zircon. |
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