Zahira College, Colombo
Zahira College, Colombo is an Islamic school for boys located in Maradana, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded on 21 August 1892, originally named Al Madrasathul Zahira, by Islamic lawyer M. C. Siddi Lebbe with help from Ahmed Orabi Pasha of Egypt. The name Zahira means excellence in Arabic, and the campus includes one of Sri Lanka’s oldest mosques.
Back in the late 1800s, most schools were run by Christian missionaries, and many Muslims were worried about losing their faith if they pursued English education. To give Muslims a modern education without religious pressure, M. C. Siddi Lebbe urged the community to unite in 1891 at the Maradana Mosque Hall. This led to the Colombo Muslim Educational Society. The first secretary was I. L. M. Abdul Aziz, the treasurer and headmaster was Arasi Marikar Wapchie Marikar, and Ahmed Orabi Pasha assisted them. Zahira College opened on 22 August 1892 with 37 students; by the end of the first year, there were 125.
The college publishes a magazine called Crescent. It is governed by an 18-member board drawn from the Maradana Mosque executive committee, the Zahira College Welfare Society, the Parents-Teachers Association, and the Old Boys' Association. Notable principals have included Tuan Burhanudeen Jayah (1921–1947), A. M. A. Azeez (1948–1961), and R. I. T. Alles (1983–1985). Since 2013, the principal has been A. R. M. Trizvi Marikkar.
Today Zahira College is a semi-government boys’ school with more than 250 teaching staff and over 5,500 students in grades 1–13. Instruction is offered in English, Sinhala, and Tamil. The school colors are green, white, and maroon, and former students are known as Old Zahirians. The motto is Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah).
The campus features one of Sri Lanka’s oldest mosques. The Old Boys Association funded a swimming pool project, which was completed on 14 July 2012. In 2020, work began on a major new sports complex for the college.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:30 (CET).