A high pressure gas discharge lamp has electrodes that project into a discharge space surrounded by a discharge wall. The discharge space has a filling of rare gas and metal halides. The metal halide composition comprises halides of sodium and scandium with a mass ratio of halides of Sodium and Scandium of 0.9-1.5. In order to provide a lamp that can be easily manufactured and is well suited for operation at reduced power, the discharge vessel wall is of externally and internally cylindrical shape. The lamp may be manufactured by providing a cylindrical tube of quartz material, heating the tube at two distant portions and forming grooves there, inserting two electrodes into the tube and heating and pinching the tube at both ends to seal the discharge space. Manufacture is carried out without a bulb forming step such that the discharge space remains in externally and internally cylindrical shape.