Sacred City of Anuradhapura World Heritage Site

Official name
Sacred City of Anuradhapura | UNESCO
Country
Sri Lanka | Map
Continent
Asia
Location
North Central Province, Anuradhapura District
8.3333° Lat, 80.3833° Lon | Map
Code
200
Time Zone
Asia/Colombo (+0530, +0530)
Current Time
Category
Cultural
Description
Inscribed 1982. This sacred city was established around a cutting from the 'tree of enlightenment', the Buddha's fig tree, brought there in the 3rd century B.C. by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns. Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that flourished for 1,300 years, was abandoned after an invasion in 993. Hidden away in dense jungle for many years, the splendid site, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, is now accessible once again.