Pettah is a neighbourhood in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

located east of the city centre

Fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, and behind the Colombo Port. The Pettah neighborhood is famous for the

Pettah Market The Pettah Market also called Manning Market is an open market in the suburb of Pettah, Sri Lanka, Pettah in the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The entrance to the Pettah Market is marked formally by a tall monument in the centre of a roundabout, kn ...

, a series of open air

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

s and markets. It is one of

's busiest commercial areas, where a huge number of wholesale and retail shops, buildings, commercial institutions and other organisations are located. The main market segment is designed like a gigantic crossword puzzle, where one may traverse through the entire markets from dawn till dusk, but not completely cover every part of it. Pettah is derived from ta, Pettai, an Anglo-Indian word used to indicate a suburb outside a fort. Today, the Sinhala phrase, (outside the fort) conveniently describes the same place.

Demographics

Pettah is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic area.

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

, Bohras and Memons are the predominant ethnic group found within Pettah, however an average amount of

Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...

and

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

populations also exist. There are also various other minorities, such as Burghers, Malays and others. Religions include

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

and various other religions and beliefs to a lesser extent.

Buildings and landmarks

Notable landmarks in the neighborhood include: *

Wolvendaal Church Wolvendaal Church (''Wolvendaalse Kerk'') is located in Pettah, a neighbourhood of Colombo. It is one of the most important Dutch Colonial era buildings in Sri Lanka, and is one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use in the country. H ...

Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque ( si, කොලඹ කොටුව රතු පල්ලිය , translit= Kolomba Kotuwa Rathu Palliya, ta, மஸ்ஜிதுல் ஜாமிஉல் அஃபார் அல்லது சம்மாங்க� ...

* Kayman's Gate * Former Colombo Town Hall *

Colombo Dutch Museum The Colombo Dutch Museum is a museum that covers the history of the Dutch colonial rule in Sri Lanka. The building The two storey colonnaded building on Prince Street, Pettah (Colombo 11) which houses this museum was constructed during the Dutch ...

* Sammangodu Sri Kathirvelayutha Swami Kovil * Old Town Hall Market * Federation of Self Employees Market * Manning Market *

Pettah Floating Market The Pettah Floating Markets are located on Bastian Mawatha in Pettah, a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and consist of 92 trade stalls, with a number of the stalls established on boats on Beira Lake. The floating market serves as a tourist ...

*Cross Street Bazaars *Central Bus Station *

Khan Clock Tower The Khan Clock Tower was built in Colombo, Sri Lanka by the Khan Family of Bombay. The Clock Tower is a popular landmark and marks the entrance to Pettah Market. The Clock Tower was built in the early 20th century by the family of Framjee Bhikhaj ...

File:Sri Lanka - 012 - Market street around Fort Stn & Harbour (1630266755).jpg, One of the streets that make up the

. File:Colombo le marché aux légumes (15).jpg, One of the streets that make up the

File:Colombo le marché aux légumes (12).jpg, One of the streets that make up the

References

Districts of Colombo Populated places in Western Province, Sri Lanka {{WesternLK-geo-stub