Abdul Ghaffoor Private Family Trust Sri Lanka

On the 8th of April 1875 a remarkable man was born. Noor Deen Hajiar Abdul Ghaffoor was born to a well reputed Moor family in Colombo, Sri Lanka. From a very young age he was apprenticed to his uncle C L Rahmatullah (Periya Thamby), a successful gem merchant. In his early years, together with his uncle, the young boy affectionately known as NDH throughout his life, would board the large passenger ships that docked at Colombo Harbour to sell their wares to wealthy passengers. From those humble beginnings, he founded a jewellery shop at the Bristol Hotel building in 1894 at the young age of nineteen and by 1915 had built the iconic Ghaffoor Building which was described as one of the largest and finest commercial structures in Colombo. By 1929 NDH created the Gem Museum at 40 Church Street designed by the famous architectural firm Edwards Reid and Begg. All this paved the way for the foundation of a jewellery empire that made his name familiar far and wide. He brought fame and fortune to his motherland and became known for his philanthropy to all communities as well as to the country of his birth – Sri Lanka…