Founded in the 4th century BC and in use as the island’s capital for over a millennium. The Sri Maha Bodhi Tree, a cutting from the original Bodhi Tree planted in 288 BC, is considered the most sacred tree on earth. The Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba stands 55 metres tall. By bicycle with a specialist archaeology guide, it becomes a story rather than a list of monuments.
Sigiriya
A 5th-century royal fortress that rewrites your understanding of ancient engineering
The hydraulic water gardens at the base are engineering from the 5th century AD. The frescoes painted onto the sheer rock face have survived 1,500 years. The Mirror Wall is inscribed with devotional poetry spanning a thousand years of visitors. The summit view at first light, across the Cultural Triangle, is everything the photographs suggest and something they cannot capture.
