Sri Lanka’s first great capital and a sacred city for Buddhists, Anuradhapura is home to the revered Sri Maha Bodhi tree and colossal stupas such as Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya. Ancient reservoirs, forest monasteries, moonstones and carved guardstones reveal an advanced civilisation that thrived here for well over a thousand years, shaping the island’s enduring culture.