History of Colombo Timeline

(5th century BCE – Present)

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka. Its history spans over two millennia, beginning as an ancient seaport known to Greek, Roman, Arab, Persian, and Chinese traders. The city was colonized successively by the Portuguese (1505), the Dutch (1656), and the British (1796) due to its strategic harbor. Under British rule, Colombo became the administrative and economic center of Ceylon. After Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, Colombo remained the country's commercial hub, evolving into a modern metropolis while preserving landmarks like Fort, Pettah, and colonial-era architecture. More Less

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Ancient and Medieval Era

Sidatsangarava grammar written in the 13th century

1200 - 1299

The author of Sidatsangarava, the oldest Sinhala grammar, written in the 13th century, wrote about a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala, documenting the ancient linguistic heritage of the region around Colombo.

Image source: Sinhala script

Ibn Battuta visits the island

1300 - 1399

Traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited the island in the 14th century, referred to it as Kalanpu, providing one of the earliest recorded foreign accounts of the settlement that would become Colombo.

Image source: Ibn Battuta

Colonial Rule

Portuguese explorers arrive in Sri Lanka

1505

Portuguese explorers led by Dom Lourenço de Almeida first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505. They introduced the name 'Colombo', believed to be derived from the classical Sinhala name Kolon thota, meaning 'port on the river Kelani'.

Image source: Francisco de Almeida

Treaty signed with King Parakramabahu VIII of Kotte

1505

During their initial visit the Portuguese made a treaty with the King of Kotte, Parakramabahu VIII (1484–1518), which enabled them to trade in the island's crop of cinnamon, found along with the coastal areas including Colombo.

Image source: Parakramabahu VIII

Portuguese expel Muslims and begin building a fort

1517

Within a short time of arriving, the Portuguese expelled the Muslim inhabitants of Colombo and began to build a fort in 1517, establishing a fortified colonial presence on the site.

Image source: Colombo

Colombo becomes capital of Portuguese coastal areas

1593

Following the fall of the Kingdom of Kotte in 1593, the Portuguese were able to establish complete control over the coastal area, with Colombo serving as their capital for the territories they held.

Image source: Kingdom of Kotte

Dutch sign treaty with King Rajasinha II of Kandy

1638

In 1638 the Dutch signed a treaty with King Rajasinha II of Kandy which assured the king assistance in his war against the Portuguese in exchange for a monopoly of the island's major trade goods.

Image source: Rajasinha II

Portuguese strongholds gradually defeated

1639

The Portuguese resisted the Dutch and the Kandyans but were gradually defeated in their strongholds beginning in 1639, marking the decline of Portuguese power on the island.

Image source: Dutch–Portuguese War

Colombo serves as capital under Dutch East India Company

1656 - 1796

Although figures like Rijcklof van Goens initially restored the captured area back to the Sinhalese kings, the Dutch later refused to turn them over and gained control over the island's richest cinnamon lands including Colombo, which then served as the capital of the Dutch maritime provinces until 1796.

Image source: Dutch Ceylon

Dutch capture Colombo after epic siege

1656

The Dutch captured Colombo in 1656 after an epic siege, at the end of which a mere 93 Portuguese survivors were given safe conduct out of the fort, ending Portuguese rule over the city.

Image source: Sinhalese–Portuguese conflicts

British capture Colombo

1796

The British captured Colombo in 1796, but it remained only a British military outpost for nearly two decades while the interior kingdom of Kandy remained independent.

Image source: British Ceylon

Kandyan Convention cedes entire island to Britain

1815

When Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815 following the Kandyan Convention, Colombo was made the capital of the newly created crown colony of British Ceylon, controlling the entire island.

Image source: Kandyan Convention

Government Agent administers the city

1833

In 1833, the Government Agent of the Western Province was charged with the administration of the city, formalising colonial administrative oversight of Colombo.

Image source: Western Province, Sri Lanka

British conceive a Municipal Council for self-governance

1865

Centuries of colonial rule had meant a decline of indigenous administration of Colombo and in 1865 the British conceived a Municipal Council as a means of training the local population in self-governance. St Benedict's College was also founded that year.

Image source: Colombo Municipal Council

Colombo Municipal Council constituted and meets first time

Jan 16, 1866

The Legislative Council of Ceylon constituted the Colombo Municipal Council in 1865 and the Council met for the first time on 16 January 1866. In 1866 the city also had a population of around 80,000.

Education

Royal College Colombo established

1835

Royal College Colombo was established in 1835 during British colonial rule. Most of the prominent schools in the city date back to the 1800s when they were founded during this era.

Image source: Royal College, Colombo

University College Colombo established

1913

The first step in the creation of a university in Colombo was taken in 1913 with the establishment of University College Colombo, which prepared students for the external examinations of the University of London.

Wijerama House and post-independence schools established

1950

In the post-independence era several secular schools were established: Thurstan College (1950), Isipathana College (1952), Mahanama College (1954), D. S. Senanayake College (1967), and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya (1973).

Image source: Thurstan College

Landmarks and Culture

Galle Face Hotel opens as Asia's Emerald on the Green

1864

The colonial styled Galle Face Hotel, known as Asia's Emerald on the Green since 1864, opened adjacent to Galle Face Green and remains one of Colombo's most iconic landmarks.

Image source: Galle Face Hotel

National Museum of Colombo established

Jan 1, 1877

The National Museum of Colombo, established on 1 January 1877 during the tenure of the British Colonial Governor Sir William Henry Gregory, is located in the Cinnamon Gardens area and became the country's premier museum.

Image source: Colombo National Museum

Bank of Ceylon tower becomes city's tallest landmark

1980 - 1997

Before the twin towers were completed in 1997, the adjacent Bank of Ceylon tower was the tallest structure and the most prominent city landmark of Colombo's skyline.

Image source: Bank of Ceylon

Sri Lanka wins 1996 Cricket World Cup

1996

The country emerged as champions of the 1996 Cricket World Cup, a triumph celebrated across the island and especially in Colombo, and later became runners up in 2007 and 2011.

Image source: 1996 Cricket World Cup

First Colombo Marathon held

1998

The Colombo Marathon is an internationally recognised marathon established in 1998, attracting runners from around the world through the streets of the commercial capital.

Image source: Colombo Marathon

Nelum Pokuna Theatre opens

Dec 2011

The Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre is a world-class theatre that opened in December 2011 in Colombo, adding a major cultural venue to the city.

Image source: Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre

Independence and Modern Era

Ceylon gains independence from Britain

1948

This era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948 when Ceylon gained independence from Britain. Colombo retained its status as the capital of the newly independent nation.

Image source: Sri Lankan independence movement

Bandaranaike Airport replaces Ratmalana as international gateway

1967

Colombo's first international airport, which commenced operating in 1935 at Ratmalana, was replaced by Bandaranaike Airport in 1967 as the country's main international gateway.

Image source: Bandaranaike International Airport

Administrative functions moved; Colombo named commercial capital

1978

In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, retaining its role as the nation's economic centre.

Image source: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Era of major terrorist attacks

1983 - 2009

In addition, in the period from the 1980s to 2009, there have been a number of major terrorist attacks in Colombo during the Sri Lankan Civil War, profoundly affecting life in the city.

Image source: Sri Lankan Civil War

Port of Colombo handles record container volumes

2008

The Port of Colombo handled 3.75 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2008, up 10.6% on 2007 (which itself was up 9.7% on 2006), bucking the global economic trend.

Image source: Port of Colombo

Colombo joins 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

2010 - 2019

Colombo is part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to the Upper Adriatic region with its rail connections to Central and Eastern Europe, underscoring its enduring role as a trade hub.

Image source: Maritime Silk Road

Colombo–Katunayake Expressway opened

Oct 2013

Expressways constructed in the Colombo metropolitan area include the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway, which was opened in October 2013, along with the Outer Circular Highway improving connectivity around the city.

Image source: Expressways of Sri Lanka

Colombo Metro area prospers economically

2020 - 2029

The per capita income of the Colombo Metro area stood at US$8623 and purchasing power per capita of $25,117, making it one of the most prosperous regions in South Asia.

Image source: Colombo District

NPP wins local elections; Balthazaar becomes mayor

2025

In 2025, the National People's Power won the local elections and Vraîe Cally Balthazaar became mayor. She is the second woman to hold the position, after her predecessor Rosy Senanayake (2018–2023), and leads Colombo under the NPP-JVP alliance, marking the city's first left-wing governance since N.M. Perera.

Key Facts

The name 'Colombo' likely derives from the Sinhala words 'Kola-amba-thota,' meaning 'port with mango trees.'
Colombo served as a major trading port for Arab, Persian, and Chinese merchants long before European arrival in 1505.
The Portuguese built a fort in Colombo in 1517, marking the start of nearly 450 years of successive colonial rule by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British.
The British developed Colombo's natural harbor in the 19th century, transforming it into one of the busiest ports in South Asia.
Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948, with Colombo remaining the nation's commercial capital, though the official capital functions moved to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Source

This History of Colombo timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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