HISTORICAL MUSLIM TOWNS OF SRI LANKA (PART - 2) - TOWN OF BERUWELA - HOME OF THE OLDEST MOSQUE IN SRI LANKA

Ketchimalai Mosque, Beruwala, Sri Lanka

Beruwela, in the south western costal belt of Sri Lanka is a relaxed beach resort which attracts independent travelers and families alike. The name Beruwela is derived from the Sinhalese word Beruwela (the place where the sail is lowered). It marks the spot for the first Moorish settlement on the island, established by Arab traders around the 8th century AD. A large population of Sri Lankan Moors, many of them gem traders, still live in this area, particularly in the "China Fort" district. The oldest mosque in Sri Lanka - the Kachchimalai Mosque - was built by the first Arab settlers on a rock. A focal point for Sri Lanka's Muslim minority, Kechemalai Mosque at beruwela marks the location of the first recorded Muslim settlement on the island in 1024. 

Mosque at Naleemiah Institute, Beruwala, Sri Lanka