Colombo Galbokka Lighthouse | AmazingLanka.com

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The Colombo Galbokka Lighthouse, located at Galbokka Point south of Colombo Harbor along the Marine Drive in Colombo Fort, is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The name Galbokka or Gal Bokka—meaning “rocky bay”—was given by local fishermen, while the British referred to it as “Galle Buck.”

Historically, the site held great cultural significance. A tombstone with an Arabic inscription, dating back to 948 AD, once stood at Galle Buck. This stone marked the grave of an Arabian saint revered by Colombo’s Moors. By 1879, the tombstone was reported to have been repurposed as a doorstep in Pettah, making it the oldest known Islamic inscription on the island (Digby, 1879; Johnston, 1826). The inscription, a prayer for the saint’s soul, reads:

In the name of the Compassionate and Merciful God. There is no god but God. Muhammad is the prophet of God. May the Blessing and Peace of God be upon him. O God pardon, have mercy upon the and pass away from (the sins of) thy servant, the son of thy servant, Khalid Ibn Abu Bakaya (takaya or Nakaya) (who) has left the world and (who) was dependent on Thee; but Thou wast sufficient without him (who) has departed to Thee, and Thou art his best place of departure. O God, pardon his sin, and his piety may remain and grant him his last (reward) and that he may be justified. And Protect Thou and multiply favor and security to him. And may He (God) appoint our excellent prophet supreme that he may afford to us and show us the truth clearly; for he has admonished with the established word and his decision has obtained, and his resistance is (as) the depth (lake) of reproach. Amen! Lord of the Worlds!
It was written on the second day (of the week) five nights taken out of (the month) Rajab (5^th of Rajab) in the year 337 (Hijra). And in the vicinity he completed a security for religion with (other) conveniences in the year 317 (Hijra). May God Give Blessings and Peace upon his Prophet Muhammad. (Lee, 1826)

Unfortunately, the original rock was destroyed in the late 19th century. An 1886 report notes that 26,368 tons of granite and 66,726 cubic yards of earth were removed to level the site (Forrest, 1886).

The lighthouse itself was constructed in 1952 following the deactivation of the Old Clock Tower Colombo Lighthouse, whose light had been obscured by nearby buildings. Standing 15 meters tall (Sailing Directions for India and the Bay of Bengal, 1989), the tower is painted with a distinctive black-and-white checkered pattern on the seaward side.

References

2005. Sailing Directions (Enroute) India & Bay of Bengal. 8th ed. Annapolis: Lighthouse Press, p.78.
Forrest, J., 1886. Journal of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Vol LXXXVII. London: Institution of Civil Engineers, pp.77-79.
DIGBY, W., 1879. Forty Years of Official and Unofficial Life in an Oriental Crown Colony: being the life of Sir Richard F. Morgan, etc- Vol 1. Madras: Madras, Higginbotham & Co : London, Longmans, Green & Co., p.240.
Lee, S. (1826). A Cufic Inscription Found in Ceylon. Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1(2), 545–548. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25581728
Johnston, A. (1826). A Letter to the Secretary Relating to the Preceding Inscription. Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1(2), 537–548. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25581729

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