Clock Tower

Colombo


The restored clock tower at the junction of Chatham St and Janadhipathi Mawatha (once Queen St) was originally a lighthouse that was built in 1857. It's now right at the heart of officialdom and you can expect a few watchful guards.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Colombo attractions

1. Central Point

0.02 MILES

Chatham St is seeing the ongoing renovations of old buildings, one of the grandest being the old colonnaded 1914 Central Bank building known as Central…

2. President's House

0.09 MILES

In the heart of Fort, this fenced colonial estate is where the president lives.

3. Dutch Hospital

0.11 MILES

This terracotta-tiled, Dutch-era structure dates back to the early 1600s. Beautifully restored, it's now home to trendy shops, cafes and restaurants. In…

4. Lloyd's Buildings

0.15 MILES

Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha has the grandly restored Lloyd’s Buildings. Several other imposing colonial piles on the street are also in various stages…

5. Cargills Main Store

0.16 MILES

Local retail giant Cargills once had its main store on York St. The now mostly empty ornate 1906 red building still shows its faded elegance in its long…

6. World Trade Center

0.17 MILES

Opened in 1996, this was one of the first modern office towers in Colombo.

7. Old Galle Buck Lighthouse

0.18 MILES

Climb up onto the large central terrace of this 1954 lighthouse for views of the ocean, and the rapidly expanding commercial port and mega offshore…

8. St Peter’s Church

0.22 MILES

Reached along the arcade on the north side of the Grand Oriental Hotel, this converted Dutch governor’s banquet hall was first used as a church in 1821…