Arab and Persian traders knew the port of Colombo from at least the 8th century CE, when it served as a key waypoint on the cinnamon and spice route linking Asia with the Middle East, before falling successively under Portuguese, Dutch and British rule.

Colombo has remained Sri Lanka's commercial and economic capital even after the official administrative capital moved to the nearby suburb of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in 1982. Today it blends colonial-era landmarks such as St. Anthony's Church with the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple and a bustling modern harbour.