Articles

Anthropology – Race in Sri Lanka

Race in Sri Lanka: What genetic evidence tells us By Asiff Hussein Race is a touchy issue almost everywhere in the world but nowhere is this more pronounced than in countries where there is a plurality of peoples. People become more race conscious when another group of people differing in …

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Fezzes and Surat Toppis

Headdresses of the Muslims of Old By Asiff Hussein Surattu Toppi The ordinary headgear of the Muslims of Sri Lanka in the olden days was a white skullcap. However the head-dress usually worn by the more affluent Muslims was an altogether different type of head-gear. It was a costly multi-coloured, …

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Linguistics – Sinhala 6000 years ago

by Asiff Hussein  It would seem surprising to many that the origins of the Sinhala language could be traced back to 6,000 years ago. Surprising but true. Linguistic research pioneered by nineteenth century German linguists like Franz Bopp and August Schleicher have made it possible to connect Sinhala words to …

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The Kandy National Museum

by ASIFF HUSSEIN There is perhaps no other museum in Sri Lanka that so faithfully reflects traditional Kandyan society and culture as the Kandy National Museum. Situated in close proximity to the Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth in the heart of Kandy town, the museum building goes back …

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Galle National Museum

by ASIFF HUSSEIN Galle has something special about it. It is a blend of both the past and the present, the native and the colonial. It was here that the first Portuguese fleet led by Laurenco De Almeida sailed into the country nearly five centuries ago. It was here that …

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Ratnapura National Museum

by ASIFF HUSSEIN The Sabaragamuwa Province has more to it than meets the eye. Besides its precious stones which have given its fabled capital the name of Ratnapura or ‘City of gems’, its rich gem-bearing alluvia have yielded the discovery of an entirely new extinct fauna for Sri Lanka, among …

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Kotte Archaeological Museum

by ASIFF HUSSEIN Kotte, the one-time capital of the Sinhalese Kings is slowly waking up from its slumber after centuries of neglect under colonial rule. The city more properly known as Jayawardhanapura Kotte or ‘The Fortress in the Victory-enhancing City’ served as the capital of the Sinhalese Kings from the …

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