Zahira College, Colombo
（重定向自Zahira）
![](/Images/godic/202502/21/Zahira_College,_Colombo_-_Logo2642.jpg"){kind=logo}
![Zahira College Mosque, also known as the Maradana Mosque. The mosque was established long before the college was started and was patronized by A.M. Wapchie Marikar.](/Images/godic/202502/21/Zahira_Mosque2642.jpg")
![The Gafoor Hall, Colleges Main Hall](/Images/godic/202502/21/Gafoor2642.jpg")
![The Umpichy Building across the college ground](/Images/godic/202502/21/Umpichy2642.jpg")
Zahira College, Colombo ( commonly known as Zahira College or simply as Zahira ) ( Sinhalese:සහිරා විදුහල, Tamil:சாஹிரா கல்லுரி, Arabic: Zahira means "Excellence" ) is the very first Muslim school in Sri Lanka and was founded in 1892 as Al Madrasathul Zahira by two of the most prominent Sri Lankan Muslims of the day, I. L. M. Abdul Aziz and Arasi Marikar Wapchie Marikar, with the active patronage of Ahmed Orabi Pasha of Egypt. It is currently the largest Muslim educational institution in Sri Lanka with more than 4000 students studying there. The college is situated at the heart of Colombo city. The college also has one of the oldest mosques in the country in its premises.