Colombo Grand Mosque (Founded 8 or 16th century)
The Colombo Grand Mosque is the main mosque in Sri Lanka. It occupies a unique place in the life of Sri Lankan Muslims. Its early origins are hidden in the dim past where legend and tradition are interwoven with history. However it does have a documented history of nearly 500 years. It is believed that the famous Sir Alexander Johnston discovery of the Colombo Arabic Inscription tombstone dating to 948AD was found in the old Colombo Muslim cemetery that was next to the Grand Mosque. This gravestone is currently at the Colombo National Museum. This indicates the mosque might be at-least 1100 years old and possibly the oldest mosque in Sri Lanka.
In 1820s, the mosque had been inadequate for the growing congregation of Colombo Muslims. So the Mosque was redesigned and rebuilt by a Malay Architect Muhammad Balangkaya. The renovated mosque was a two-storey Mosque building and was probably the first mosque of its kind in all of Sri Lanka at that time. Even the British Governor of Ceylon visited the mosque in 1826 and commended the architect. An additional wing was later constructed in 1897. The mosque was reconstructed again during 1900s to meet the demands of time.
The present Colombo Grand mosque is a imposing grand structure but completely rebuilt a few decades ago. Their is hardly any evidence in the mosque to suggest it might be centuries or a millennium old except the first Muslim school building at its back. There is also a old Canon Gun that dates to 1897 which was fired to indicate the times of break of fast, end of Suhoor during the Islamic month of Ramadan and was also used to indicate the start of the Eids (festivals).
The Colombo Grand Mosque is the main mosque in Sri Lanka. It occupies a unique place in the life of Sri Lankan Muslims. Its early origins are hidden in the dim past where legend and tradition are interwoven with history. However it does have a documented history of nearly 500 years. It is believed that the famous Sir Alexander Johnston discovery of the Colombo Arabic Inscription tombstone dating to 948AD was found in the old Colombo Muslim cemetery that was next to the Grand Mosque. This gravestone is currently at the Colombo National Museum. This indicates the mosque might be at-least 1100 years old and possibly the oldest mosque in Sri Lanka.
In 1820s, the mosque had been inadequate for the growing congregation of Colombo Muslims. So the Mosque was redesigned and rebuilt by a Malay Architect Muhammad Balangkaya. The renovated mosque was a two-storey Mosque building and was probably the first mosque of its kind in all of Sri Lanka at that time. Even the British Governor of Ceylon visited the mosque in 1826 and commended the architect. An additional wing was later constructed in 1897. The mosque was reconstructed again during 1900s to meet the demands of time.
The present Colombo Grand mosque is a imposing grand structure but completely rebuilt a few decades ago. Their is hardly any evidence in the mosque to suggest it might be centuries or a millennium old except the first Muslim school building at its back. There is also a old Canon Gun that dates to 1897 which was fired to indicate the times of break of fast, end of Suhoor during the Islamic month of Ramadan and was also used to indicate the start of the Eids (festivals).
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