Sri Lanka's Popular Historic cities

Sri Lanka has a proud history denoted by historical monuments dispersed all over the country. Following are a few important ones.

Anuradhapura

This is the first kingdom of Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura is a place of Buddhist veneration as it is home to the Sri Maha Bodhi which is an offshoot of the Sri Maha Bodhi at Buddha Gaya under which Lord Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. The city is also home to a range of other sacred temples and majestic stupas.

Sigiriya

This is a small town near the Dambulla district in which the main attraction is the 600 foot rock fortress. Composed of the ruins of King Kashyapa’s castle with walls painted with astounding frescos, rock carvings, walkways and ponds; the Sigiriya rock fortress is a world heritage site. The Archaeological Museum is among the other attractions that can be explored when staying at guesthouses or boutique hotels in Sri Lanka such as the Water Garden Sigiriya.

Kandy

This is home to the ‘Dalada Maligawa’, which enshrines the sacred tooth relic of the Lord Buddha and many other religious monuments. The city is also adorned with ancient colonial architecture as a result of prolonged British rule.

Galle

Galle is a glorious beach bound city famous for its colonial culture. Being a major commercial hub during the Dutch period it is home to several historic structures such as the Galle Fort and Dutch hospital. Places of religious worship such as the Galapatha Temple are also located in Galle.

Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.

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