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Pettah Market and Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque — Colombo

Cover photo: Thilina Alagiyawanna (Unsplash)

District

Colombo

Province

Western

Best for

Bargain hunters and photographers; fabrics, spices, electronics and the Red Mosque

Map

See it on the map

About this place

Ride the train to Colombo Fort then walk into Pettah; mornings are least crowded. Best November to March. Agree tuk fares before hopping in, keep bags zipped, and photograph the Jami Ul-Alfar (Red) Mosque from outside prayer hours.

Visitor brief

Good to know before you go

• Mornings are least crowded; the area is intense by midday heat.
• The Red Mosque (1908, Indo-Saracenic stripes) is an active place of worship: visit outside prayer times, dress modestly, women are given robes at the door.
• Ask mosque staff before photographing inside; never photograph worshippers without permission.
• Keep bags zipped and valuables out of sight; Pettah is busy and pickpocket-prone.
• Bargain politely in the bazaar lanes; agree tuk fares before hopping in.

How to travel there

Ride the train to Colombo Fort station, then walk into Pettah; tuk-tuks queue at the Fort side.

Where to stay

Colombo Fort area for market access; budget to mid-range city hotels.

Nearby places

Colombo Fort colonial streets, Galle Face Green, Gangaramaya Temple and Seema Malaka, Colombo National Museum

Scams to watch for

• Pickpockets in crowded market lanes; keep bags zipped.
• Tuk-tuk overcharging around Fort/Pettah; agree the fare first or use a metered app.

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