The Museum of Colombo was established in 1877 with as many as 800 exhibits at the time. The Museum currently holds about 100,000 artefacts on display. Moreover, this Museum is home to the most important library in the whole of Sri Lanka. Here are a few facts about The National Museum of Colombo.
The structure
The National Museum is situated near the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo 7. The building has two stories and is built to Italian style architecture. The building is painted in stark white which allows it to stand out in the bustling streets of Colombo. The compound surrounding the structure is well maintained with leafy green trees which is a highlight in itself.
The Museum’s gallery
The gallery contains paintings that may be about a 140 years old. Most of the art was done by the English painters who happened to visit Sri Lanka at the time. These pictures showcase what life was like in the early days of Ceylon in the agricultural civilizations coming through to the colonial time that came to be in the country.
The exhibits
One can truly take a tour of Sri Lankan history when in this museum. Feel free to eyeball the ancient artefacts that are inscriptions on rocks, swords used by the army in ancient times, jewellery used by kings and queens and coins, frescoes and lamps. The exhibit that takes the limelight, however, is the magnificent red-velvet throne of the last king of Sri Lanka. About 750,000 people lined up to view this artefact at the time it was revealed to the public.
The library
The library was made the legal depository for Sri Lanka which made it possible to collect over 12 million documents that were written in antique times. Some of them are written on palm leaves on the subjects of astrology, demonology, folklore and architecture. There is much more to see at the National Museum in Colombo, so if you are staying in a hotel in Colombo like the recognized Berjaya Hotel Colombo, do stop by to admire and learn more about Ceylon.
Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world. Google+