COLOMBO NATIONAL MUSEUM

It was the first museum created in Sri Lanka, in 1877, under the English governorship of Sir William Gregory Henry (1871 - 1877). Administrator of the British Museum in London, it was his passion for the arts that pushed him to vote with great difficulty for the creation of a public museum. The building was specially constructed to house the museum. The architect Wapchi Marika Bass was commissioned and work began in 1872 and was completed in 1877, the year the Colombo Museum opened. It became the National Museum in 1942.

This large white building inspired by Italian architecture is today the largest museum in the country. It holds many items declared as national treasures, such as the crown and throne of the last king of Kandy, as well as weapons and other objects from the colonial era. On the second floor, don't miss Room 24. This is one of the most interesting rooms with its rich collection of Hindu bronzes from the Polonnaruwa period. On the same level, a section houses the Puppetry and Children's Museum. The museum also houses a library with a collection of about 500,000 books, some of which are very rare, and more than 4,000 "ola" manuscripts (manuscripts made on palm leaves). The National Museum also serves as the National Library and a copy of every document printed in Sri Lanka must be deposited in the archives.

Finally, the National Museum regularly organizes lectures and seminars to present the national heritage.