Editing Colombo (section)

==Architecture==
[[File:Red Mosque.jpg|thumb|The Red Mosque]]
Colombo has widely varying architecture that spans centuries and depicts many styles. [[colonial architecture|Colonial]] buildings influenced by the [[Architecture of Portugal|Portuguese]], [[Architecture of the Netherlands|Dutch]] and [[Architecture of the United Kingdom|British]] exist alongside structures built in [[Buddhist architecture|Buddhist]], [[Hindu architecture|Hindu]], [[Islamic architecture|Islamic]], [[Architecture of India|Indian]] and [[Contemporary architecture|Contemporary]] architectural styles. No other place is this more evident than in the Fort area. Here, one may find new, towering skyscrapers as well as historic buildings dating far back as the 1700s.<ref name="oldCMB1">{{cite web |url=http://kermeey.blogspot.com/2006/02/colombo-fort.html |title=Colombo Fort |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222170304/http://kermeey.blogspot.com/2006/02/colombo-fort.html |archive-date=2015-12-22 |website=F's Place |date=2006-02-19 |author=Faz |access-date=2011-10-17}}</ref><ref name="oldCMB2">{{cite web |url=http://www.reddottours.com/46/tintagel-accommodation-profile.htm |title=Tintagel, Colombo |publisher=Red Dot Tours |access-date=2013-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212081336/http://www.reddottours.com/46/tintagel-accommodation-profile.htm |archive-date=12 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Colombo Fort===
The Portuguese were the first colonists to settle in Colombo. Establishing a small trading post, they had laid the foundations for a small fort which in time became the largest colonial fort on the island. The Dutch expanded the fort, thus creating a well fortified harbour. This came into the possession of the British in the late 1700s, and by the late 19th century, seeing no threat to the [[Colombo Harbour]], began demolishing the ramparts to make way for the development of the city. Although now there is nothing left of the fortifications, the area which was once the fort is still referred to as Fort. The area outside is [[Pettah, Sri Lanka]] or {{lang|si|පිටකොටුව}} ''Pitakotuwa'' in Sinhala which means outer fort.<ref name="oldCMB1"/><ref name="oldCMB2"/>
[[File:Voclogo.jpg|thumb | right | The VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) logo of [[Dutch East India Company]] on the gates of [[Wolvendaal Church]]]]

===Dutch-era buildings===

There are none of the buildings of the Portuguese era and only a few from the Dutch period. These include the oldest building in the fort area, the [[Old Colombo Dutch Hospital|former Dutch Hospital]], the Dutch House which is now the [[Colombo Dutch Museum]] and several churches. The [[President's House, Colombo|President's House]] (formerly the Queen's House) was originally the Dutch governor's house and successive British governors made it their office and residence. However, it has undergone much change since the Dutch period. Adjoining the President's House are the Gordon Gardens, now off-limits to the public.<ref name="oldCMB1"/><ref name="oldCMB2"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramerini |first=Marco |title=Asia. Dutch Colonial Remains 16th-18th centuries |url=http://www.colonialvoyage.com/asia-dutch-colonial-remains-16th-18th-centuries/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221011219/http://www.colonialvoyage.com/asia-dutch-colonial-remains-16th-18th-centuries/ |archive-date=2016-02-21 |access-date=2011-10-17 |website=Colonial Voyage}}</ref>

===British-era buildings===
Much of the old buildings of the fort area and in other parts of the city date back to British times; these include governmental, commercial buildings, and private houses. Some of the notable government building of British colonial architecture includes the old Parliament building, which is now the [[Presidential Secretariat (Sri Lanka)|Presidential Secretariat]]; the [[Republic Building, Colombo|Republic Building]], which houses the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)|Ministry of Foreign affairs]] but once housed the Ceylon Legislative council; the [[General Treasury Building]]; the old [[General Post Office, Colombo|General Post Office]], an Edwardian-style building opposite the President's House; the [[Prime Minister's Office (Colombo)|Prime Minister's Office]]; the [[Central Telegraph Office, Colombo|Central Telegraph Office]]; and the [[Old Royal College Building, Colombo|Mathematics department]] of the [[University of Colombo]] (formally the [[Royal College, Colombo]]).<ref name="cmb.ac.lk"/> Notable commercial buildings of the British era include the [[Galle Face Hotel]], Cargills and Millers' complex, and the [[Grand Oriental Hotel]].<ref name="oldCMB1"/><ref name="oldCMB2"/>
<gallery widths="250px" heights="200px" caption="">
File:SL Colombo asv2020-01 img25 Cargills Building.jpg|The historical Cargills & Millers building continues as the headquarters of Cargills
File:Old Parliament Building, Colombo.JPG|The [[Old Parliament Building, Colombo|Old Parliament Building]] near the Galle Face Green, now the [[Presidential Secretariat (Sri Lanka)|Presidential Secretariat]]
File:SL Colombo asv2020-01 img10 National Museum.jpg|The [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical style]] [[Colombo National Museum]]
</gallery>