Anurādhapura

Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, serving as both the provincial capital and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Located 205 kilometers north of Colombo on the Malwathu Oya, it is a World Heritage Site renowned for its ancient Sinhalese civilization ruins. Founded in 437 BCE, it is one of Asia's oldest continuously occupied cities and a major human settlement for nearly three millennia. Anuradhapura was the first capital of the Sinhala Kingdom of Rajarata and a long-serving ancient capital of Sri Lanka, surviving for 1500 years. It was also a significant center for Theravada Buddhism and a major pilgrimage site, home to ancient Buddhist temples and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. The city was largely deserted after a Chola invasion in 993 CE but was reestablished as a major population center during the British colonial era in the 19th century.