| Major Cultural Assets in Sri Lanka | ||||
| Out of many cultural gifts in Sri Lanka, six places that are rich in archaeological values have been inscribed in the World heritage List. | ||||
| 1. Sigiriya Ancient City | ||||
| 2. Polonnaruwa Ancient City | ||||
| 3. Anuradhapura Ancient City | ||||
| 4. Kandy Sacred City | ||||
| 5. Galle Ancient City and Fort | ||||
| 6. Dambulla Cave Temple | ||||
| Sigiriya Ancient City | ||||
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It is a large rock boulder, which is about 200 m. high. In the 5th century King Kashyapa built his fortified palace and pleasure garden at this site. The remains of a vast palace can be seen on the summit of this monolithic rock. | |||
| There are many pools and fountains around the rock. The geometrically symmetrical arrangements of the ponds and the pleasure garden are wonderful creations of the past. The entire fortress area is surrounded by a moat and thick fortifications. Sigiriya is world famous today for its unique and lively frescoes, architecture, landscaping, engineering and hydraulic technology. | ||||
| Polonnaruwa Ancient City | ||||
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Once Polonnaruwa was the capital of Sri Lanka and this spectacular ruin city, located on the plains of north-central province, symbolises the pride of a mighty kingdom in the 12th century. Among the remains there are ancient monuments, Image Houses, Stupas, Ponds and Lakes that are all made of stones, bricks and timber. The Thivanka Image House has the best-known Buddhist frescoes of the Polonnaruwa era, and most of ruins in Polonnaruwa are not yet excavated. | |||
| Anuradhapura Ancient City | ||||
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Anuradhapura,
the island's capital for some 1,400 years, was the largest and the
oldest kingdom, which spreads approximately through 100 acres (40
Hectares) of land area. In this sacred city the ruins of huge stupas,
monasteries, buddha images, and colossal man made lakes and ponds,
hospital complexes, storied buildings and stone inscriptions are
imperishable evidence of the energy, technology and imagination
of the people of Sri Lanka. Sri Maha Bodhi tree is considered as the most sacred tree of buddhists because Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree (Ficus Religiosa) at Gaya place in India and the Sri Maha Bodhi is an off shoot (sapling) of that original tree. It is well known as the oldest recorded historical tree in the world. Unequivocally the largest brick construction of the world, second only to the pyramid of Giza in Egypt, is the Jetawana Stupa in Anuradhapura. |
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| The attractive and enchanting Buddha image (Samadhi) at the sacred garden depicts a serenity of a higher meditation posture of the Lord Buddha and is world famous as an unsurpassed statue of Buddha, which was made by an expert sculptor giving life to a rough stone. | ||||
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