Kattankudy Urban Council
காத்தான்குடி நகர சபை · කාත්තන්කුඩි නගර සභාව
The Al-Aqsa Grand Jumma Masjith in Kattankudy
Heritage & places to visit

Al-Aqsa Grand Jumma Masjith

The third largest mosque in Sri Lanka stands in Kattankudy — a town on the island's east coast whose Muslim heritage reaches back to the Arab traders who settled here more than a thousand years ago.

The Al-Aqsa Grand Jumma Masjith is the most imposing landmark of Kattankudy — and, as the third largest mosque in Sri Lanka, one of the most significant mosques in the country. It stands in a town where faith, trade and community life have been intertwined since Arab traders first settled this coast more than a thousand years ago.

For visitors exploring Sri Lanka’s east coast, the mosque is a natural starting point: moments from the lagoon, the beach and the town’s Heritage Museum, at the centre of a community that has grown into one of the most densely populated towns on the island.

An active place of worship

The mosque is a living heart of daily life in Kattankudy. Visitors are welcome — please be respectful of worshippers, especially during prayer times.

Name
Al Aqsa Grand Jumma Masjith
Location
Kattankudy, about 6 km south of Batticaloa town
Standing
Third largest mosque in Sri Lanka
Setting
Between the Batticaloa Lagoon and the Bay of Bengal
Town heritage
Muslim settlement traced to 8th-century Arab traders

Timeline

How it developed

  1. 8th century

    Arab traders settle

    Kattankudy's Muslim community traces its origins to Arab traders who settled on this coast — a history recorded in local chronicles such as the Mattakallappu Manmiyam and in a stone inscription found in the town.

  2. 1947

    A town council is born

    Kattankudy's Town Council was established in 1947 — the beginning of the town's modern civic institutions.

  3. 11 June 1999

    Elevated to Urban Council

    After serving as a District Development Council and then a Pradeshiya Sabha, Kattankudy was elevated to an Urban Council.

  4. 2015

    A museum for the town's story

    The Kattankudy Heritage Museum opened in 2015, adding a major cultural attraction to the town beside its mosques.

  5. March 2026

    The lagoon opens to visitors

    The Lagoon Park and Tourist Boat Service was inaugurated on 22 March 2026 — the newest addition to Kattankudy's growing list of places to visit.

Plan a visit

See the town beyond the mosque walls

Getting there

Kattankudy sits on Sri Lanka's east coast, about 6 km south of Batticaloa town, between the Batticaloa Lagoon and the Bay of Bengal.

Combine your visit

The Heritage Museum (opened 2015), the beach, and the Lagoon Park and Tourist Boat Service (inaugurated March 2026) are all part of the town's visitor offering.

A living town

Kattankudy is one of the most densely populated towns in Sri Lanka — a busy, working community whose roots on this coast reach back over a millennium.

Continue exploring

Related pages

The long sandy shoreline of Kattankudy Beach

Kattankudy Beach

A popular coastal attraction on Sri Lanka's east coast — a long sandy shoreline and peaceful atmosphere close to Batticaloa, kept pristine by the Beach Tech cleaning machine.

A boat at the Kattankudy Lagoon Park

Lagoon Boat Services

Four entertainment boat services at the Kattankudy Lagoon Park — eco dining, eco safari, party boat rides and more on the Batticaloa Lagoon.

The Kattankudy Meera Jumma Mosque

Meera Jumma Mosque

An important place that reflects the history of the town — a house of worship, a site of remembrance, and today one of Kattankudy's most visited historical places.

Interior of the Kattankudy Heritage Museum

Heritage Museum

A four-storey cultural centre preserving and displaying the history, traditions and heritage of the Kattankudy community — from traditional tools to cultural treasures.

The Batticaloa Lagoon at Kattankudy

The Lagoon & Lagoon Park

1.33 km² of inland waterways frame Kattankudy's western edge — home to the Lagoon Park and its entertainment boat services.