Ancient Ruins

The history of Sri Lanka dates back to more than 2500 years, and houses ancient cities with their glorious remains that are temples, fortresses, and statues. The ancient ruins of Sri Lanka are considered to be archeological gold mines because of their rich civilization. Most of the places here are declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.

Anuradhapura Ancient City ? One of the ancient cities of Sri Lanka is Anuradhapura. The city is well known for its ruins depicting early Sri Lankan civilization. Famous among Buddhists pilgrims, Anuradhapura was earlier the capital of the island and most of the kings who ruled Sri Lanka. Later, in the third century BC, the ancient capital of Anuradhapura under the Sinhala Kings was known as a main trading port.

Sigiriya Ancient City ? The ancient city of Sigiriya, also known as the Lion’s Rock, is a rock fortress and a palace located in the Matale district of Sri Lanka. This ruin is surrounded by gardens, ponds and other structures. Sigiriya was built by King Kassapa and it is included as a World Heritage site. Sigiriya is the best preserved city centre in Asia.

Yapahuwa Ancient City ? The ancient city of Yapahuwa is located a little way off the -Anuradhapura road, in the Wayamba province of Sri Lanka. Of all the ancient ruins in the country the Rock Fortress Complex of Yapahuwa is considered to be quite remarkable despite the fact that it isn't famous among most visitors.

Dambulla Ancient City ? The ancient city of Dambulla is one of the major places for Buddhist pilgrimages and tourist attractions. The city is home to the largest cave complex and also has the largest rose quartz in the entire South East Asia.The cave temple contains a lot of statues and painting reflecting buddhism. The UNESCO named the cave a World Heritage Site.

Buduruwagala Ancient City ? Located south of Wellawaya, Buduruwagala is famous for its statues of bodhisattva’s along with one Buddha statue. In Sri Lanka people follow Theravada buddhism, however the buddha statue signifies an influence from the Mahayana school of buddhism.