Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments. Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East–West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago.

In 1796, Colombo came under British rule and Colombo continued to be the capital city of the island, which was then known as British Ceylon. We still see buildings that belong to this era and they are constant reminders of the city and also the country’s history.