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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte city overview
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte works best as a base in Sri Lanka when you anchor days around Parliament of Sri Lanka, Diyatha Uyana and Beddagana Wetland Park. Use those sights to understand the city's history, street life and visitor rhythm. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte International Airport handles the main arrival flow, so hotel choice should balance the centre, transfer time and day-trip plans.
Worth seeing
Parliament of Sri Lanka
Parliament of Sri Lanka is a named stop in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte worth keeping on the route when it fits the day's transport, timing and neighborhood plan.
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Diyatha Uyana
Diyatha Uyana is a named stop in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte worth keeping on the route when it fits the day's transport, timing and neighborhood plan.
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Beddagana Wetland Park
Beddagana Wetland Park adds outdoor time to a Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte stay, with open space, views or waterfront breathing room between denser city sights.
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Rajamaha Viharaya
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Rajamaha Viharaya is a named stop in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte worth keeping on the route when it fits the day's transport, timing and neighborhood plan.
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Ape Gama
Ape Gama is a named stop in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte worth keeping on the route when it fits the day's transport, timing and neighborhood plan.
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Kotte Ramparts
Kotte Ramparts gives Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte a strong culture stop for museums, exhibitions or local collections, and works best as an indoor anchor in the day's route.
View on mapStay overview
Start with City centre for the easiest first Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte stay, then compare Old Town and Waterfront when price, nightlife, quieter evenings or transfer timing matter more than being beside every major sight.
Hotels & areas
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte hotel choice is mostly about repeat journeys: use City centre for sightseeing, Old Town for a different local base, and Waterfront or Airport area when views, parking, airport timing or longer stays matter.
City centre
City centre is the most practical first base in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, keeping main sights, restaurants and short local transfers close.
Best for: first visits, sightseeing, restaurantsSee hotel optionsOld Town
Old Town is the most practical first base in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, keeping main sights, restaurants and short local transfers close.
Best for: first visits, sightseeing, restaurantsSee hotel optionsWaterfront
Waterfront suits travellers who want views, evening walks and a calmer base while still keeping central Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte reachable.
Best for: views, quieter evenings, walksSee hotel optionsAirport area
Airport area works mainly for early departures, late arrivals or car pickup, not for a first Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte sightseeing base.
Best for: early flights, late arrivals, car pickupSee hotel optionsFlights & airports
Colombo Ratmalana International Airport (RML) arrival plan
- Colombo Ratmalana International Airport (RML)About 7 km from the centre
Compare airport access against hotel location, arrival time, rental car pickup, late flights and onward driving before choosing the first night base.
- Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB)About 33 km from the centre
Compare airport access against hotel location, arrival time, rental car pickup, late flights and onward driving before choosing the first night base.
Rental cars
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte day-trip car use
Do not rent a car for central Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte unless parking and traffic are part of the plan; use one mainly for regional day trips.
Compare rental carsTravel tips
Best base
Choose City centre for a first stay because it keeps main sights, restaurants and practical local movement close.
Airport timing
Leave extra time for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte International Airport, especially for early flights, late arrivals, traffic or unfamiliar transfer routes.
Local movement
Plan each day in clusters around Parliament of Sri Lanka and Diyatha Uyana so transfers do not consume the best sightseeing hours.
Day trips
Keep one flexible slot for nearby routes from Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, checking weather, transport and opening hours before committing.
City history
The Portuguese arrived on the island in 1505 and were initially welcomed by the king, but they had militaristic and monopolistic intentions and gained control of the city by 1565.
While designated as the new capital in 1977 to relieve congestion in Colombo, the official relocation was marked by the inauguration of the new Parliament building in Kotte on 29 April 1982. Legislature The.
Sri Lanka formally changed its administrative capital from Colombo to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in 1982.
The Kotte Urban Council became the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council in 1997, with Chandra Silva as the first Mayor.
Here, in the 13th century, a local chieftain, Nissanka Alagakkonara, built a Kotte, or fortress.
It became the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kotte, which it remained until the end of the 16th century.
The process of relocating government institutions from the former capital of Colombo is still in progress. Municipal structure The Kotte Urban Development Council was created in the 1930s, with a modern building at Rajagiriya.
Kotte was a jala durgha (water fortress), in the shape of a triangle, with the Diyawanna Oya and Kolonnawa Oya marshes forming two long sides; along the shorter third (land) side a large moat.
From the ramparts to the magnificent three storied buildings that housed the kings palace, laterite and clay were the main raw material used in its construction.
The main features of the capital city were: The King's palace, with walls of quartz that sparkle in the moonlight (candrakanta pasana) and a golden spire, with beautiful flower gardens and springs of water.
Failing to withstand repeated assaults by the forces of the neighbouring Kingdom of Sitawaka, the city was abandoned by the Portuguese, who made Colombo their new capital.
Like similar cities of that era, Sri Jayawardenepura was built with security in mind.
The buildings were built on reclaimed land, after a massive lake was formed by dredging the marshlands around the Diyawanna Oya.
The island (off Baddegana Road, Pita Kotte) had been used as a recreation and brawling spot for Portuguese soldiers in the last days of Kotte era, alcohol being banned from the Royal City.