The only lighthouse in the world that also tells the time
- Junction Chatham Street X Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 01
- Not open to public
Fort watch
They say this is the only lighthouse in the world that also tells the time. The tower stands at 132 feet above sea level and at one point was the tallest structure in Sri Lanka. Its white revolving triple flash light powered by kerosene oil, could be seen from a distance of 18 km in clear weather.
Nice to know
The tower was designed by Lady Ward, wife of then Governor of Ceylon, which explains the elegant lines. The clock was manufactured by the famous Dents of England, who two years later also built the one in London’s Big Ben.
The reason for building a clock tower was to help workers in the Fort area to be more punctual as few people personally owned watches back then.
2nd lighthouse
When it was built in 1857 it was the second Colombo lighthouse. The first one stood on the bastion of the original Fort, right by the ocean edge and disappeared when the Brits dismantled the Fort.