cities
The cities of Sri Lanka show the blending of different cultures that currently do, and had existed in the island in its colourful history. Being colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, had given most of the major cities in Sri Lanka a mix of local and Western classical architecture, which is now being complemented with modern styles. Some of the country’s main administrative buildings still reside in colonial buildings. Colombo, the largest city and the commercial capital of the country, shows a unique interweaving of culture and religion with modernization. In Kandy and Galle, the 2nd and 3rd largest cities of the country respectively, a sharp contrast can be seen between the modernizing people and the as yet old landscape, as both cities are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Trincomalee, in the East Coast too offers similar experiences. The end of hostilities in the north has made Jaffna open to tourists, giving a glimpse into a subculture which was hidden from the world for nearly 3 decades.
