Hotels near Pettah Market and the Red Mosque (Jami Ul-Alfar)

Pettah is the wholesale district immediately east of Fort, and it is organised street by street. Gabo's Lane sells ayurvedic herbs, Sea Street handles gold, Fifth Cross Street covers electronics, and Main Street runs to fabric and luggage. Prices sit well below the shopping malls if you haggle, and traders expect you to. Handcarts, loudspeakers and almost no pavement make this the loudest place on the list.

The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque anchors the district at the corner of Second Cross Street. Completed in 1909, its red and white candy-striped brickwork served as a landmark for sailors approaching Colombo harbour. Non-Muslim visitors may enter outside prayer times if dressed modestly, and the caretaker will usually wave you up to the first-floor gallery for a view over the rooftops. Entry is free, though a small donation is welcome.

Pro Tip: Go on a weekday between 8am and 11am. Pettah largely shuts on Sundays and Poya full moon days, and Friday midday prayers close the mosque to visitors for around two hours.