← back to the atlas
Anuradhapura
★ UNESCO
World Heritage
Anuradhapura

📷 chathuraanuradha · Pixabay

Where in the world

Sri Lanka

The site

Anuradhapura is an ancient city on the north central plain of Sri Lanka, cradle of the Sinhalese civilisation and a World Heritage Site famous for its well-preserved ruins. Though tradition places its founding in 437 BCE, the site has been inhabited far longer, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Asia. For centuries it served as the capital of the Sinhala kingdom of Rajarata and a great centre of Theravada Buddhism.

Field notes

civilizations
Sinhalese
types
City
occupied
400 BCE — 1,017 CE
country
Sri Lanka
elevation
81 m above sea level

See it in 3D

3D capture Old heritage buddhist temple in Anuradhapura bdilshan ↗
3D capture Anuradhapura - Weltkulturerbe gussbronze ↗

Figures of this place

Laid to rest, born or died at Anuradhapura

Mahinda†
Mahindadied hereBuddhist monk of 3rd century BC
Sangamitta†
Sangamittadied hereIndian Buddhist nun
Elara†
Elaradied hereKing of Anuradhapura from 205 BCE to 161 BCE
Dutugamunu†
Dutugamunudied hereSri Lankan King
AO†
Anula of Anuradhapuradied hereQueen of Anuradhapura
M✶
Mutasivaborn hereking of Anuradhapura

Nearby sites

Mihintale ~12 km
Mihintale Sri Lanka
Sigiriya ~57 km
Sigiriya Sri Lanka
Dambulla cave temple ~59 km
Dambulla cave temple Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa ~79 km
Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka