History

Many Ottomans who migrated from the Ottoman Empire to Latin American countries in the 19th century in search of a better life and were described as “Los Turcos” (Turkish people) have achieved significant success in many fields from politics to business, from art to literature. There were various waves of migration from the Ottoman Empire to Latin America from 1860 …

Many forget that the first Muslims to celebrate Ramadan in America were enslaved Africans. This week marks the beginning of Ramadan. Nearly one-fourth of the world will observe the annual fast and eight million Muslims in the United States will abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset during the holy month. Islam in America is rapidly expanding. It …

Akbar as depicted by the Indian artist Goverdhan in this painting made in 1630 (Wikimedia) The Indian ruler was known for his military conquests but also his respect for his non-Muslim subjects, especially India’s majority Hindu population In a famous anecdote, the Mughal Emperor Akbar holds court with representatives of the major religions, who each take turns to make the …

The Arabs and their mixed breed descendants played a very important role in the business life of Sri Lanka in mediaeval times. Maritime trade to do with imports and exports was dominated by them before European colonists made inroads here. However there introduction of exotic species of fauna and flora to our country has largely gone unnoticed. Here are some …

This video is about the history of the Khan Memorial Clock Tower, in Pettah, Colombo, and about the contributions made by the Parsi ‘Khan’ family to the people of Sri Lanka (formerly, British Ceylon). I have also shared details about the history of Parsis in Sri Lanka.