Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is the first capital of ancient Sri Lanka and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was founded in the 4th century BC and became the heart of Sinhalese civilization. Here you will find the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree which grew from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Massive stupas like Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya rise over the landscape as symbols of devotion and engineering brilliance. The city’s network of reservoirs and canals shows how advanced ancient Sri Lankan irrigation systems were.