Uncovering forgotten histories: Dr. Jesmil's lifelong journey into Muslim Heritage and Archaeology

For Dr. Abdul Raheem Jesmil, archaeologist and lecturer at the Department of Archaeology, University of Peradeniya, the pursuit of heritage has always been about more than discovery — it is about restoring memory, asserting identity, and giving voice to communities that have long been left out of Sri Lanka's national narrative.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

Speaking to The Island, Dr. Jesmil reflected on how his passion for archaeology and Muslim heritage was born not in a classroom or museum, but in the quiet lanes of his hometown in the Eastern Province, where the past lay scattered and silent.

"I grew up surrounded by ruins, oral traditions, old mosques, and gravestones with unfamiliar scripts. No one really spoke about their significance. These were not considered part of the 'national heritage' we were taught about. That silence intrigued me," he said.

The silence, in many ways, was political — a symptom of a historical narrative that has traditionally centred around Sinhala-Buddhist monuments and kingdoms. As a Muslim academic entering this space, Jesmil knew from the start that his journey would be fraught with both academic and social challenges.

"There was a time when it was unthinkable for someone from a minority background to pursue archaeology as a serious profession. There were doubts even from within my own community. People would ask — what are you going to find? Why are you digging up things no one talks about?"

What he has uncovered since then has not only reshaped how Sri Lanka's Muslim history is viewed, but also laid the groundwork for a more inclusive vision of heritage that transcends ethnic and religious boundaries.

Jesmil is among a new generation of archaeologists who question the absence of minority heritage in mainstream archaeological discourse. His meticulous research into Islamic sites - from ancient mosques and gravestones to maritime trade ports - has revealed a long and deep-rooted Muslim presence on the island that predates colonial rule.

"Muslims didn't just arrive with the Portuguese or Dutch. Our presence here is centuries old, embedded in the very landscape of this island from the tombstones in Beruwala and Galle, to the inscriptions in Kufic Arabic found in Mannar and Jaffna."