Kattankudy Heritage Museum – කාත්තාන්කුඩි උරුම කෞතුකාගාරය

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Kattankudy Heritage Museum is center which exhibit the rich cultural heritage of the Muslim community in the area as well as the Muslims in Sri Lanka in general.

The history of the Muslims of eastern coast of Sri Lanka goes back to the period of King Senarath (1604 – 1635) of the Kandyan kingdom. Prosecuted by the Portuguese who invaded Sri Lanka in 1505,  the muslims of the country sought refuge with King Senarath and he granted land in the eastern cost where they would be safe from the Portuguese. This community who were mostly  farmers, fishermen, and traders has today grown to a large community with their own identity.

Kattankudy is one of the many Muslim dominated towns in the Batticaloa district. It is said that Kattankudy is the most densely populated city in Sri Lanka with nearly 50,000 residents, calculated at 6,726 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2012. On August 3, 1990, the Muslims of the Kattankudy faced one of most gruesome massacres in Sri Lanka’s recent history by the Tamil Tiger Terrorists group, LTTE where 147 men and boys were gunned down inside a mosque.

The new forms of Islamic teachings spread by the Arabic nations are no more apparent in any other area than in Kattankudy.   Today this town looks like more like a Arabian village than a Sri Lankan. The streets are lined with fruit bearing Date trees which makes Kattankudy the only known place in Sri Lanka where you can see these trees. The Arabic text on some billboards are are more prominent than the national languages.

Along this unique road lies the Kattankudy Heritage Museum where cultural heritage of the Muslim community is being attempted to preserved.  The museum was opened on 15th April 2015 and lies in a 3 storied building. The museum carries a good collection of old, weapons, household items and ceramics etc  and life size clay models display the cultural events of the community.

The museum is operated by the Department of Archaeology and open from 10.30 am – 6.00 pm from Saturday to Thursday. (The Museum is closed on Fridays). The entrance fees are Rs 50 local adult, Rs 20 for local children and Rs 500 per foreigner.

Also See

• Attractions of Sri Lanka
• Heritage of Sri Lanka
• Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
• Nature and Wildlife of Sri Lanka
• Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity

Map of  Kattankudy Heritage Museum

Travel Directions to Kattankudy Heritage Museum