Beruwala: History
The first Muslim settlement of Sri Lanka was in Beruwala which is situated in the Western coastal area of the Island. Beruwala was named "Berbereen" in the past in honor of Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn who is also known as Shaykh Abu Barakat al Barbari, a Somali Muslim scholar and a traveler who founded the city.
As a result of Arabs arriving and settling down in the western coastal areas of Sri Lanka such as Beruwala between the 10th to 12th centuries AD, Beruwala became a popular city for Unani medicine. During the 10th century Prince Jamal-ud-din, the son of Sultan of Konya arrived in Beruwala to practice Unani medicine. Eventually, Unani medicine was spread to many other parts of Sri Lanka and Unani Physicians can still be found in Beruwala and around Sri Lanka at present.
As a result of the relationship between the Muslims and the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka has had a Muslim Ruler called Vathimi Raja, also known as Vathimi Deiyo, who reigned in Kurunegala for a brief period during the 14th century. Vathimi Raja was a son of Buvanekabahu I, who married a Muslim spouse from Beruwala, the daughter of one of the chiefs. Vathimi Raja was first seen by the Arab traveler Ibn Batuta during his visit to Sri Lanka in 1344 while Vathimi Raja's son Parakrama Bahu II (Alkeshwara II) was a Muslim while the lineage of Alkeshwara Kings was ended in 1410.
The Vathimi Rajapura Housing Scheme in Beruwala was built in memory of Vathimi Raja and opened in the 1980's by the local Member of Parliament Alhaj M. A Bakeer Markar when he was then Speaker of the Parliament. M. A Bakeer Markar was once the acting Head of State of Sri Lanka, for a brief period in 1981, when President J. R. Jayewardene and Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa left for England to attend the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
The Beruwala fishery harbour was destroyed during the 2004 Asian Tsunami and reconstructed by CFHC Awakening of Fishery Harbour project.