The most revered city in Sri Lanka, without a doubt, is Anuradhapura. Although many of its places of worship are now in ruins, a huge part of the region's religious and historical heritage has been preserved. Anuradhapura is an ideal tourist destination for tourists in love with history, for those who want to get to know the culture of this miniature country.

Ancient Anuradhapura is full of charm and mystery. Its attractions will allow you to plunge into the mystical past of Sri Lanka and even take some unique photographs there.

Not far from the Abhayagiri complex, tourists will find the ruins of the old Ratna Prasada monastery, built in the 2nd century by order of King Kanitta Tissa for the monks of the Abhayagiri order. He had gigantic size, as evidenced by the powerful, richly decorated columns that can still be seen today. In the 8th century, the temple was reconstructed: several floors were added and a golden statue of Buddha was installed.

One of the centers of Sinhala civilization, the Jetavana Pagoda has a diameter of 113 meters and reaches a height 75 meters. At one time it was the tallest Buddhist building in South Asia. 93 million bricks were used for its construction. Today, next to the pagoda there is a museum where you can learn the history of the attraction and display an interesting collection of Buddhist statues.

One of Anuradhapura's most colorful structures, the Ruwanvelisseya Pagoda is located next to the ethnographic museum. An interesting wall that surrounds the pagoda is decorated with images of hundreds of elephants. Seriously damaged by wars and natural disasters, the landmark today is only 55 meters high and is surrounded by a garden replete with ruins.

Location: Abhayawewa Road.

An interesting tourist attraction in Anuradhapura is the Isurumuniya Monastery, which attracts attention with its stone sculptures that personify Prince Saliya and his beloved, a representative of the Asokamala caste.

Legend has it that the prince gave up his crown to marry her. Situated on the top of a cliff, the monastery is full of Buddhist relics brought from India in the early 4th century. At the entrance to the temple there is beautiful lake, decorated with impressive elephant statues.

Located in picturesque place on the Tissa Wewa River, Mirisavetiya is a pagoda of impressive proportions. Like all pagodas in Sri Lanka, it has its own legend, which says that King Dutugemunu, who decided to take a bath in the river, threw off his scepter and his royal insignia. After bathing, he wanted to pick up the scepter, which contained the relics of Buddha, but was unable to. To protect them, the king ordered the construction of a pagoda.

Location: Old Puttalam Road.

An attraction that is very popular in Anuradhapura is the Thuparama Pagoda, built by King Dawaman Pusa. It is considered to be the oldest in Sri Lanka, dating back to the 3rd century. Tuparama is located north of the Ruwanwelisseya Pagoda and has a diameter of 18 meters.

Location: Thuparama Mawatha.

The Abhayagiri monastery complex is the largest in Anuradhapura. Its main building, the Abhayagiri Pagoda, is 108 meters. The monastery complex covers an area of ​​200 hectares and includes several Buddhist temples. The main attraction of the complex is the Samadhi statue, which is considered one of the most beautiful images of Buddha.

Built during the reign of King Vijayanahu in the 12th century from wood, stone and clay soil, the palace covered an area of ​​about 2.5 square kilometers. Its southern wing was given over to a pagoda (Maligawa), where the relics of Buddha were kept. The wood used in the construction has not stood the test of time, but the stone part of the building can still be seen.

Once a magnificent structure covered with a bronze roof, Lohopasada Palace was built over 2,000 years ago for King Dutugemenu in the 13th century. Today you can see the ruins of 1,600 columns that supported the building. They say that the grandiose medieval building had 9 floors and could accommodate up to 1000 people at a time.

Money Museum

At the Anuradhapura Money Museum you can get acquainted with the history of Sri Lanka, starting from ancient times, in an accessible form. Many of its exhibits are recognized as the oldest in the world. Founded in 1982, the museum is divided into 4 exhibitions:

  • Ancient period.
  • Medieval period.
  • Colonial period.
  • Period of independence.

The oldest coins date back to the 3rd century and are made of silver. The museum also exhibits gold coins, as well as foreign ones that appeared here with the beginning of the development of trade.

Location: Stage 1, New Town.

The Sri Maha Bodhi Temple is home to what Buddhists believe is the oldest tree on Terra, planted in 249 BC. According to Buddhist belief, Gautami Buddha achieved enlightenment in front of a sacred tree at Buddhagaya, in India, and the Sri Maha Bothi tree is a shoot of the southern branch of this tree. A trip to Anuradhapura would not be complete without visiting this sacred place for all Buddhists.

Anuradhapura - famous city ancient monasteries located in northern central Sri Lanka. The ancient monuments of Anuradhapura were discovered in the 19th century, and later included in. This ancient city called the most big city monasteries in the world. In the capital, where 113 kings reigned, where Buddhists make pilgrimages, there are greatest monuments, palaces and monasteries of Sri Lanka. Other famous cultural attractions of Sri Lanka are majestic rock, cave temple and amazing temples.

Anuradhapura, ancient capital of Sri Lanka

The founding of the city of Anuradhapura practically coincided with the spread of Buddhism in Ceylon. According to legend, the Sinhala ruler Devanampiya Tissa (III century BC) and his entourage became acquainted with the new creed thanks to the son of the Indian king Ashoka - Mahinda. Soon Buddhism became the official religion of the Sinhalese, and the first stupa (dagoba) of Thuparama and Buddhist monastery Isurumuniya. During this era, the city experienced its heyday.

The ancient Sri Lankan chronicle “Mahavamsa” testifies: “The great and wise king ordered streets to be laid in this wonderful city, and thousands of houses of barely three floors were built on them. Everywhere in the city there were shops full of all kinds of goods. Elephants, horses and carriages passed without delay through the streets, which were every day swarming with people who took part in the solemn festivities. The entire strip of land off the coast was like one continuous workshop, continuously occupied with the construction of ships...”

Having existed for more than 1,200 years as the capital of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura was destroyed at the end of the 10th century when the troops of the South Indian state of the Cholas invaded northern part islands. The capital of the island was moved to Polonnaruwa, and Anuradhapura became a city of great past, revered as the sacred capital of the island.

Sights of Anuradhapura

The majestic ruins of Anuradhapura, occupying a circle with a diameter of more than 12 km, are located four hours' drive from the modern capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. This museum city cannot be walked around entirely and explored even in a few days. Meanwhile, perhaps the most significant cultural monuments of the “lion island” are concentrated here.

Ancient chronicles tell that Anuradhapura was once surrounded by high walls with gates facing the four cardinal directions. The city had many ponds and parks, and thousands of sweepers came out to clean the streets every day. The royal palace and numerous Buddhist monasteries (viharas) and stupas (dagobas) were grandiose structures made of stone and wood. In ancient times, there were more than 3 thousand monks alone.


At the same time, each ruler of Anuradhapura sought to build a dagobah, possibly superior in size and splendor to those erected by his predecessors. In particular, the Jetavana dagoba, which lay in ruins but was partially restored, reached 80 m in height - i.e. was taller than many Egyptian pyramids.

Typical and extremely characteristic examples of Buddhist art for Ceylon are the so-called “moon stones”. There are eight of them preserved in Anuradhapura. Usually they were placed in front of the entrance to the “House of Image”. “Moon stones” are semicircular granite slabs with ornamental images carved on them. In the outer semi-ring, various animals and birds were located in a clockwise direction.

The next half ring was a wreath of lotus leaves. The sun was depicted in the center. This symbolism is associated with ancient cosmogonic ideas, and penetrated the island from India along with Buddhism. The images themselves on the “moon stones,” however, are inspired by Hindu mythology, but they have new content. A lion, for example, is associated with Buddha, lotuses - with detachment from everything earthly.

Today, among the architectural structures of ancient Anuradhapura, the dagobas are the best preserved. The giant stone masses survived despite the ravages of time.

The largest among the dagobas of Anuradhapura is the Ruwanwelisaya dagoba - a masterpiece of Sri Lankan architecture. It is often called the “Great Stupa” - “Maha Thupa”. The round snow-white stone mass, 54 m high, rests on a square base, framed on all sides by reliefs depicting the heads of elephants. The spire soaring into the sky once sparkled with gold.

The Ruvanvelisaya stupa is about two thousand years old, and the history of its construction is described in detail in the ancient Ceylonese chronicle “Mahavamsa”. The construction of the dagoba was started by King Dutthagamini, one of the most glorious rulers who ruled in Anuradhapura. Having ascended the throne, he found a golden plate hidden in his palace with instructions to build a dagobah. Then the king summoned five hundred of the best architects, showed them the plate and asked what shape the dagobah should be built. One of the architects suggested a bowl turned upside down as a model.

Dagobah was built with extreme care. Even sand intended for construction was sifted repeatedly and then rubbed between stones. The foundation was trampled down by elephants whose legs were wrapped in skins. The inner sanctuary of the dagobah was decorated with silver and gold. A model of the sacred bo tree made of gold and silver with pearls and gems was installed here. The statue of Buddha located here, cast from pure gold, was especially famous.

Shortly before the completion of construction, the king fell ill. Feeling his death approaching, he asked his brother Saddhatissa to see to it that the construction was completed. Saddhatissa promised to fulfill his request. It was he who ordered the dagobah to be painted in White color, which it retains to this day, although the coloring has to be regularly renewed: Subsequent kings also decorated the dagoba in all available ways.

In the middle of the 19th century. this building was threatened by the fate of many other buildings in Anuradhapura. The dilapidated dome resembled a natural hill, overgrown with trees and bushes, in which monkeys galloped and jackals hid. Restoration work took almost a hundred years. It was only during the Second World War that the Ruwanwelisaya Pagoda was finally restored.


One of the most ancient monuments of Buddhism in Ceylon is the Tuparama Dagoba, built in the 3rd century. BC. Devanapiya Tissa was the first Sinhalese ruler to accept Buddhism. According to legend, the collarbone of Buddha is walled up in this stupa, making Tuparama a particularly revered shrine. The height of this elegant, surprisingly proportional structure. resembling a bell, is about 17 m.

One can only marvel at the skill and artistic taste of the Sinhalese craftsmen who created this magnificent structure more than twenty-two centuries ago. Dagobah is surrounded by stone pillars that once served as supports for a tent over the heads of worshipers.

The spire of another dagobah, Abhayagiri, seems to rise from the depths of a huge mountain. This mountain is actually nothing more than a dome covered with grass (also restored in last years). The name “Abhayagiri” itself is sometimes translated as “Mountain where there is no fear.”


At the foot of the dagoba, a sculpture about two meters high has been preserved, depicting Buddha Samadhi immersed in nirvana (IV or V centuries). The figure is carved rather roughly, but the face with a distinctly absent expression is very expressively worked out.

However, much more has been preserved in Anuradhapura interesting statue Buddha, which is the oldest in Sri Lanka - it was erected 1800 years ago. The Chinese traveler Fa Xian, who visited Anuradhapura in 411, wrote: “Here... there is a hall of Buddha, decorated with gold, silver and precious stones, where there is his statue of green jade, more than fifty fugues high, sparkling with seven treasures, but in the pose serious and indescribable dignity. In the palm of my right hand lies a priceless stone.”

This statue, which has survived to this day, was actually carved not from jade, but from granite. Buddha is depicted in a meditation pose. sitting cross-legged. His face expresses serenity, the deepest peace of wisdom that has comprehended everything.

Another ancient monument of Anuradhapura, preserved from the time of King Devanampiya Tissa, is the Isurumuniya Monastery, cut into a large rock. Later restorations significantly changed its original appearance. Several bas-reliefs carved into the rock monolith dating back to the time of Devanampiya Tissa have been preserved. Among them is a composition depicting a group of elephants, as well as the famous bas-relief “Lovers in Stone,” depicting a girl sitting on the lap of her warrior lover.

The construction of Lohapasada - the Bronze Palace, began in the middle of the 2nd century. BC. King Dutthagamani, the same one who built the grand dagoba of Ruwanwelisaya. His reign is associated with the liberation of the north of Sri Lanka and the capital of the island, Anuradhapura, from the rule of South Indian invaders. Uniting the entire island under his rule. Dutghagamani began extensive construction in his capital. His life was not enough for this, and the construction of the Bronze Palace was completed under his younger brother.


Stories about the new miracle of Anuradhapura spread far beyond the island. Legend has it that it was built "in the image of the sky." The palace had nine floors and a thousand rooms decorated with wood carvings. In the throne room there was an ivory throne, on which the sun, moon and stars, made of gold, silver and pearls, sparkled. The rooms of the palace were also decorated with pearls, gold and silver. The Mahavamsa states that “the cornices were gems… The ringing festoons are made of gold.” And the palace got its name - Bronze - because of the bronze sheets covering the roof.

The bronze palace died, as they say, “because of a penny candle”: one day a burning oil lamp fell on the floor, and the fire completely destroyed all this splendor. The building was partially restored, but subsequent wars and the desolation of Anuradhapura led to the fact that today all that remains of the legendary palace is a platform lined with a whole forest of granite columns - there are up to 1,600 of them here!

But Kuttam, the “Double Bath,” built in the 9th century, is perfectly preserved. and having about 8 m in depth. At the edge of the bathhouse stands an elaborate sculpture of a cobra.


Anuradhapura has preserved many architectural monuments that deservedly enjoy worldwide fame. Perhaps no less famous is the thousand-year-old bo tree, growing not far from the Ruvanvelisaya dagoba. It was planted over 2,250 years ago by the first Buddhist king, Devanampiya Tissa, and is probably the oldest tree on earth today. It has survived almost the entire history of Sri Lanka, now captured in the ruins of Anuradhapura.

The tree sapling was brought from India, from the holy city, and, according to legend. is a shoot from the same bo tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment. The branch, placed in a golden pot, was brought to Anuradhapura by the nun Sanghamitta, the daughter of Emperor Ashoka. With the greatest solemnity, the precious branch was planted in the park in front of royal palace. Then it was predicted that the tree would bloom and green forever.

It is said that seven days later a miraculous rain fell and the branch immediately sent out eight shoots, which in turn were transported to other places on the island. Today, in almost any Sri Lankan Buddhist monastery you can see a bo tree, which is the “grandson”, “great-grandson” or even more distant descendant of “sri-maha-bodhi” - the “sacred great bo” from Anuradhapura.


The huge ancient tree is carefully surrounded by a cast-iron fence. Its thick branches, full of vital juices, indicate that this tree will not die soon. There is hardly a Buddhist in the whole country who has not made a pilgrimage to this tree at least once in his life. Students come here before exams, business people come before concluding important deals, ministers come before making political decisions. On the day that marks the anniversary of the conversion of the Sinhalese to Buddhism (this holiday is called "poson"), thousands of pilgrims flock to Anuradhapura. Here they pray and light candles near the sacred tree.

And again we are glad to see you on the pages. Today, having left the north of Sri Lanka, namely we went towards sacred Anuradhapura city with many ancient monuments cultural heritage, it is also called Old Town , from where in 1950 all residents were relocated to new part cities. And since we are not very rich travelers, we will share with you the story of how we managed to see all the sights for free.

Bus: Anuradhapura can be reached in 5 hours by bus (it arrives at the bus station in New Town).

  • Option 1 - after the airport in Colombo we get to the airport bus station (on foot, “tuk-tuk”). Direct bus from this station there is no link to Anuradhapura, but from there you can get to Colombo itself and then transfer to direct bus No. 5.
  • Option 2 is to get to the bus station in Negombo, change to a bus to Anuradhapura or to Kurunegala, where you can change to another bus again. Straight the bus is coming via Puttalam. You can also get a transfer through Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala.

Having decided to try public transport, we took a bus from Jaffna for 100 rupees (26 rubles).

Having reached the town of Kilinochi (from Kilinochi to Anuradhapura 144 km), we already hitchhiked, but you can use the train (280 rupees per person).

How to get to the holy city of Anuradhapura for free.

Since we got up early, we still had a lot of time to hitchhike to the desired point and see more sights. Basically everything interesting cities located on one large territory, where a single admission ticket costs 3200 rupees (800 rubles) or $25. We didn’t yet know how many passages there were attractions they cost, although I have heard, in some cases they are very overpriced. And the point is not at all that Sri Lanka has the most unique attractions in all of Asia, it’s just that the state policy here is too greedy for money.

Naturally, paying such crazy money for a couple of stupas is too “stupid,” so we walked around the territory a little to the side and climbed over a low fence. First stop was a 120 meter stupa Jetavanarama, located on the ruins of the Jetavana monastery.

Well, yes, a big, big stupa, of which we saw enough back in, differing from the rest only in that it is considered the largest in Sri Lanka. And necessarily, this is not even specified, it preserves a fragment of some “detail” of the Buddha. This time it's part of his belt.

In principle, it’s even a little impressive in size and for me personally it seemed the most interesting attraction of Anuradhapura than all the others archaeological sites old town.

To get to the second stupa, we had to overcome the secondary ticket control, which, of course, we were not aware of.

The security guard, seeing two large backpacks from afar, immediately jumped up and waved his hands at us. Andrey didn’t even look in his direction, walking further, I followed his example. The guard, taken aback by our impudence, abandoned his place and in three leaps appeared in front of us, blocking the path and shouting “Ticket! Ticket! I silently turned my gaze to Andrey, who looked at the guard with a stupid look and, in turn, also waved his hands at him, pretending to be deaf and dumb. The uniformed man's face slowly lengthened and froze for a few seconds. I almost ruined everything by wanting to laugh when I saw his confused look. Still in shock, he automatically pointed his finger in my direction, hoping that maybe I was “normal.” However, I repeated the same “concert,” smiling guiltily at the same time. This finally “finished off” the guard; with a wave of his hand, he let our smiling, grateful faces pass on.

Picnic at the Ruvanvalisaya stupa.

Having walked forward a few meters, we allowed ourselves to have fun from the heart. In order not to run into another employee of the holy city of Anuradhapura, we walked around the large white stupa Ruvanvalisaya on the side.

I would say that this is where it opened best view at her.

Another “masterpiece” of Sri Lankan architecture is also known under the names Mahathupa, Swarnamali and Ratnamali Dagaba.

Here we temporarily abandoned our backpacks to relax in the shade of the trees, swing on long springy branches like monkeys, and gaze at the birds.

By the way, there were plenty of monkeys here too, I can’t stand them since childhood.

They didn’t approach us and that’s okay.

Meeting at the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree.

After resting, the hike continued to the sacred tree of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a shoot of the same one under which Buddha’s insight descended. Got it on the way Lovamahapaya- a building formed in ancient times by 40 rows, each of which contains 40 stone columns, for a total of 1600 columns. The remains of the latter (and maybe a remake) can be seen right in front of the palace.

Suddenly a young foreigner stood in front of me, greeted me in good English and asked where I was from. What else could I answer if not the truth? The boy was from Germany, for the first time he got out of his country and somehow his choice fell on Sri Lanka. He asked where we were staying, noticing two backpacks next to me. He clearly needed company, perhaps he was hoping to join us. I said that we are hitchhikers and sleep in a tent or with locals. At first he was interested in this, and he even squatted down opposite me, but after several of my stories he realized that we were unlikely to be on our way, saying goodbye as quickly as he had appeared.

By that time, Andrei had finished examining the sacred plant behind the fence, and answered my questions briefly: “a tree is like a tree, nothing special. It’s only fenced off from particularly prying eyes and mischievous hands.”

The last attraction of Anuradhapura is the Mirisaveti Stupa.

Before leaving the old part of the holy city of Anuradhapura, Andrei decided to turn to the next stupa Mirisaveti Stupa, built on the site of a scepter with relics of the same Buddha.

There was nothing else to do in the city, and we went in search of a bus to the nearest one, 16 km before which we paid 35 rupees (9 rubles). Where we had dinner and found shelter in one of the churches that accidentally remained open all night, but you will learn about these details a little later. Stay with us, subscribe to blog news and don’t forget to share your pleasant impressions of what you read with your friends through the social buttons below :).

Tiny Mihintale is considered the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was here in the 3rd century BC. The first Buddhist monastery appeared and Mahinda's missionary work began - in honor of him, Mount Mihintale is also called Mount Mahinda.

Over time, the monastery grew in size and influence, and until the 13th century it was the third largest monastic complex in Sri Lanka. Stupas have been built here for centuries (there were more than 60 of them), and some were quite large.

Nowadays, Mihintale is rightly considered sacred and is visited by pilgrims. This is a working temple: a calm and majestic place, numerous stupas and other ancient buildings are discreetly, but perfectly integrated into the landscape. One of the oldest stupas contains the remains of Mahinda, and there is also a big statue Buddha.

Coordinates: 8.35027500,80.51811200

Bo tree

The Bo tree (or ficus sacred) is one of the oldest trees in the world. It is difficult to imagine its age - 23 centuries. The centuries-old giant grew from a sapling taken from a tree in Nepal's Budha Goya, under which Buddha gained enlightenment. For this reason, of course, the tree is a kind of shrine for all followers of Buddhism.

The scion was brought from Nepal to the island in the 3rd century BC by the nun Sangamitta, daughter of the Indian emperor Ashoka, and found its place in the royal park of Anuradhapura.

It would seem that such an old tree should be very large. But the sacred Bo itself is small; its venerable old age is supported by special supports. But the nearby protective tree is impressively huge.

As befits a shrine, the Bo tree, surrounded by a golden fence, is carefully guarded. You can't just approach him like that. But after passing through the protective cordons, you can stand in awe near the tree and, if you’re lucky, pick up a fallen leaf as a souvenir of the pilgrimage.

Coordinates: 8.34433100,80.39734800

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Jetavanarama stupa

"Jetavanarama" is a unique monastic complex created by King Mahasena in 276-303. At the dawn of the monastery, about 3,000 monks were located on its territory, which occupied an area of ​​48 hectares. On the central platform of the complex is the Jetavana Stupa, which rises 120 m and is the tallest brick structure ever built by man. In the 4th century AD, during the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Jetavanarama stupa was the third largest structure in the world, second only to the pyramids of Khafre and Cheops at Giza. The structure has massive brickwork that extends to a depth of 14 meters, so that the weight of the monument rests entirely on the bedrock.

Another unique thing about the stupa is that it is a perfect circle and contains particles of the physical remains of the Buddha. The place where the structure stands was known in ancient times as the Nandana Gardens. It was here that Arahat Mahinda preached a sermon to 7,000 people for 7 days. The Jetavanarama Stupa was built over the footprint of Buddha, and 93,300,000 bricks were used for its construction.

Coordinates: 8.35176200,80.40372100

The Museum of Money at the Central Bank with its collections can compete with historical museum, because it was in the coins of their kingdoms that the history of Sri Lanka was reflected. Here you can trace all stages of the country’s development from colonial times, when the territory was under the rule of first Portugal, and then Holland and Britain, to the present day. The exhibits in the collections of the Money Museum are recognized as the oldest in the region.

The museum was created in April 1982 to house the country's complete numismatic collection. But over time, the exhibits became more and more numerous, they covered wider time periods and the collection was divided into four thematic exhibitions: “Ancient Period”, “Medieval Period”, “Colonial Period” and “Period of Independence since the establishment of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka "

In the first two you can find the oldest coins that were in circulation in Sri Lanka. They were called Kahapana and date back to the 3rd century BC. They came in a wide variety of shapes and were made mainly of silver. Kahavanu gold coins appeared on the island only four centuries later. The first foreign coins appeared with the development of navigation and trade. Many coins of Greek, Indo-Greek, Roman, Chinese and Arabic origin have been found in Sri Lanka.

Coordinates: 6.93427600,79.84226900

Kutam Pokuna Twin Pools

Kutam Pokuna pools (twin pools) are ancient pools of the Ancient world, representing enormous hydrological, engineering, architectural and artistic value. The pools were intended for bathing Buddhist monks.

The pools were built in the 8th century in the kingdom of Andradhapura. In fact, the pools are not twins, because the first reaches a length of 28 meters, and the second - 40 meters.

The pools are carved from granite slabs that cover the bottom and walls. There are also stepped walls in the form of shelves leading to them, on which the monks placed pots for ablution and other objects when bathing.

The pools are distinguished by a unique water purification system: before entering the pool, water passes through a series of depressions next to the structure, and all dirt settles at the bottom. The pools are connected to each other using a pipeline.

Coordinates: 8.37110200,80.40159700

Abhayagiri Stupa

The Anuradhapura Stupa is the second tallest building in the ancient world, built in the 1st century BC by King Vatta Gamini Abhaya. The height of the stupa exceeds 112 meters.

In front of the entrance to the stupa there are two stone statues, which are considered to be the guardians of the god Kuvera. The name of the stupa consists of two names - the name of King Abhay and the name of Jain, known as Giri. The mortar contains interesting library The ancient world, which even foreign scientists interested in studying Buddhism strive to visit.

The stupa is believed to be decorated with gold, silver and precious stones.

A monastery of the same name was built next to the stupa, which was once home to 5,000 monks. They worshiped an image of Buddha made of green jade.

Coordinates: 8.37101700,80.39550300

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Anuradhapura is administrative center North Central Province of Sri Lanka and one of the ancient cities island of Ceylon. For a long time, Anaradhapura, located in a strategically important place - at the intersection of two port areas - and hidden in the depths of the jungle, was the capital of the state - until 1017, when the city was seriously destroyed by invaders from South India and abandoned by its inhabitants.

For almost a thousand years the city stood in desolation, and only in the 19th century an English hunter accidentally came across it in the jungle.

Today, Anuradhapura has largely been restored and is divided into two parts: the Old Town, which is a non-residential conservation area, and New town, where the entire population of Anuradhapura lives (about 50,000 people) and is located tourist area with hotels, restaurants and shops.

The city is quite far from coastline, therefore tourists are attracted to Anuradhapura primarily worldwide famous monuments culture and history of Sri Lanka included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.

How to get there

Anuradhapura is located a little over 200 kilometers from the capital of the island - Colombo. You can get to the city by train (there are two railway stations here), as well as by bus in 5 hours (it arrives at the bus station in the New Town) or by rented car along the A9 highway in 4 hours.

Search for flights to Colombo (the nearest airport to Anuradhapura)

Transport

Buses and tuk-tuks run around the New Town, but there is little need for them - this small area can be easily walked from end to end in half an hour. But the security zone on the other side of the Malvathu Oya River is very large in area - and you can’t get by without a tuk-tuk. However, in many places in the Old Town, the movement of any transport, even tuk-tuks, is prohibited.

Popular hotels in Anuradhapura

Excursions, activities and attractions of Anuradhapura

As mentioned above, most tourists come to see the monuments of the Old Town. Among them are the so-called dagobas (Buddhist religious buildings designed to store relics) Thumaparama, Ruanveli with the famous stone statues of Buddha, Jetavanarama, considered one of the tallest brick structures in Ancient world, as well as the statue of Buddha Aukana and the sacred Bodhi tree, considered the oldest known tree, with the Mahabodhi temple built around it. And this is only a small part of the monuments that await travelers in the Old Town of Anuradhapura.

Anuradhapura

In the New Town there are many hotels, restaurants and shops, and there is also a market where you can buy souvenirs.

It is worth remembering: although alcohol is sold in establishments aimed at tourists, public drinking of alcoholic beverages is not encouraged in Sri Lanka.

  • Where to stay: on one of high mountain resorts Ceylon, where even in colonial times the British took refuge from the heat, namely in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya. Alternatively, you can stay in the country's capital, Colombo, or at one of the beach resorts southeast coast of Sri Lanka.
  • What to see: one of the oldest cities on the island of Ceylon