Beruwala
| Beruwala | |||
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| State : |
 Sri Lanka
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| Province : | Western province | ||
| District : | Kalutara | ||
| Residents: | 164,969 (2012) | ||
Beruwala ( Sinhala : බේරුවල; Tamil : பேருவளை), also Beruwela , is a city on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka .
geography
Beruwala is located in the western province of Sri Lanka in the Kalutara district . It has 164,969 inhabitants according to the 2012 census and is located south of the capital Colombo at the beginning of an approximately 130 km long sandy beach. For several years this has been the main attraction for the beginning development of tourism . To the south, the tourist centers Aluthgama and Bentota join. The city is on the railway line that runs from Colombo to Galle .
history
The name Beruwala is derived from a Sinhala word which denotes a place where the sails are lowered. According to tradition, the first Arab traders settled in Beruwala in the 8th century AD , and their descendants, the Moors of Sri Lankas, are still an important economic factor in the city today. Today (2013) many of the Moors work in the gem trade. They live in the district called China Fort .
In December 2004, the city was hit by the Tsunami on Boxing Day, which caused great damage within the city, schools and other public facilities, and great human suffering. The district council of the Hessian Main-Kinzig-Kreis decided in June 2012 to deepen the relationship with Beruwala and to enter into a partnership. The idea for this partnership was born because many aid operations from the district after the tsunami benefited the city and the population and therefore good personal relationships continue to exist. After 10 years, the initiator of the relief efforts, the former district administrator of the Karl Eyerkaufer district, was able to report on the progress and the future of the aid in 2014 .
climate
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Beruwala
Source: www.meoweather.com ; en.climate-data.org
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Buildings
In Beruwala the oldest mosque in Sri Lanka, the Masjid-ul-Abrar , stands on a rocky promontory above the city. The Kechimalai Mosque stands at the point where the first landing of Arab traders is said to have taken place . The first girls' school in Sri Lanka ( Al-Fasiyatul Nasriya Muslim Balika Maha Vidyalaya Maradana ), a Muslim institution, was also established in Beruwala. It was also damaged after the tsunami.
On the offshore island of Barberyn there is a 34 m high lighthouse .
