Attractions in Sri Lanka: the ancient city of Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is an ancient city and the first capital of Sri Lanka. Its history dates back to the 6th century BC with a small settlement. Anuradhapura became the capital under King Pandukabhaya (377 — 367 BC) in 377 BC. He promoted its rapid development: temples, reservoirs, swimming pools, parks, palaces, bridges, houses, hospitals and other infrastructure were built. A huge achievement was the construction of irrigation facilities to provide water for arid regions. The population of the capital was several tens of thousands of people, and the area was about 65 square kilometers. Proof of the city’s existence is also provided by maps of the Ancient World, dated II century AD.
A turning point in the history of Anuradhapura was its occupation by the Indian Chola dynasty in 993, as a result of which the kingdom of Anuradhapura existed until 1017. Subsequently, due to constant invasions from the south of India, weakening of royal power, the city could not restore the former greatness and was abandoned in the XI century. Only the monks, who tried their best to maintain their shrines, did not leave it. In 1880, the lost city was accidentally discovered among the jungle, and in the early XX century. began work on its cleaning and restoration. Since 1982, the ancient city of Anuradhapura has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is today the most popular and visited place in Sri Lanka.
Tourists come to Anuradhapura usually for a few days, hardly anyone stays in the city for long. Unfortunately, except for sightseeing, there is absolutely nothing to do here. There is not even a tourist district where tourists can spend time in evening strolls. The city is divided into an old town and a new town, separated by a river. All hotels and tourist infrastructure are located in the new town. There you can find quite budget accommodation at reasonable prices. A room for two with minimal amenities when searching on the spot will cost from 15 dollars. Normal room with air conditioning and breakfast when booking in advance can be obtained from 30 dollars.
No one lives in the old town, and its entire territory is an archaeological park. It is worth saying that the area of this park is quite impressive. Without transportation it is hardly possible to see it. Therefore, it is very common to hire tuk-tuks to travel between monuments. Usually they are hired for the whole day, which costs about 20 dollars. Some tourists rent a bicycle at the hotel.
We cannot fail to mention Anuradhapura’s smaller neighbor, Mihintale. This is a place on a mountain just a few kilometers from Anura, from which, according to legend, Buddhism began to spread on the island. This place is also very interesting and is definitely worth a visit.