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 Port of Colombo (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as an i ...

. 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 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, known as the Khan Clo ...

, a series of open air bazaars 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 o ...

, 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 Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language prima ...

and Tamil populations also exist. There are also various other minorities, such as Burghers,

Malays Malays may refer to: * Malay race, a racial category encompassing peoples of Southeast Asia and sometimes the Pacific Islands ** Overseas Malays, people of Malay race ancestry living outside Malay archipelago home areas ** Cape Malays, a communit ...

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 ...

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 po ...

, Islam,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

and various other religions and beliefs to a lesser extent.

Buildings and landmarks

Notable landmarks in the neighborhood include: * Wolvendaal Church *

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 D ...

* 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 tour ...

*Cross Street Bazaars *Central Bus Station * Khan Clock Tower 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