Anuradhapura

Considered the  oldest city of Sri Lanka, this ancient city in the North Central province of Sri Lanka was established in the 3-4^th century B.C and was the capital city for over a thousand five hundred years. It was the seat of the Great Sinhala Kings who found the Royal heritage of the Sinhalese civilization. This city was famous   in all  of South East Asia. Listed by Unesco as a world heritage site, it has  great archeological and historical value with  evidence of beautiful  architecture and engineering feats  of that era. Ruins of the great palaces and courtyards and many religious complexes cover the surrounding countryside, including the tallest Stupa the Ruwanweliseya. Of great religious significance is the Sacred Bo tree, which is a sapling of the Tree under which the Lord Buddha attained Nirvana in 2500 BC. It is the world’s oldest venerated tree, which was brought to the Island by Arahat Mahinda, the son of Emperor Asoka of India, who established Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3^rd century BC!