Mihintale

The temple of Mihintale is where Thero Mahinda, the son of Great Indian Emperor Asoka introduced Buddihism to the king of Sri Lanka Thissa.
Mahinda's sister Theri Sangamitta carried a off shoot of the the ', the holy Bo tree that gave shelter to Buddha to attain Nibbana. Sri Maha Bodhi' The Bo tree was planted at Anuradhapura, where it still grows as the oldest tree with a recorded history in the world.

Elephant Wall

Abhayagiri is the largest monastery complex in the Anuradhapura kingdom. Founded in the second century BC by king Valagamba (also known as Vattagamini Abhaya) was an international institution by the first century AD.
Covering an area of 200ha the monastery include full components of a Buddhist temple as well as other buildings. The stupa at Abhayagiri is 108m tall and one of the tallest brick buildings of the ancient world.

The finest Buddha sculpture in Sri Lanka the Samadhi Statue (3- century AD) is among its many fine stone carvings.

Ruwanveli Seya

Popularly regarded as the greatest, and certainly the most popular among the Buddhists, of the stupas at Anuradhapura, Ruwanveli Seya, is the pride of the Great Emperor Dutugamunu. Raised in the 2nd century B.C. this dagoba is supposed to have the perfect water bubble shape. Among the many statues in the courtyard there is one that is of a larger-than-life man. This is considered to be the king himself watching his work from a respectable distance.

Isurumuniya Lovers

Isurumuniya temple built in the 3rd century B.C. is noted for its rock carvings. The best known among these is the "Lovers". Many a poet and song writer has taken inspiration from this carving to write their masterpieces. It is believed that the carving may represent Saliya the son of the great king Dutugamunu and the low-caste maiden whom he loved.

Guard stone at Thuparama

Thuparama Temple
Thuparama is considered to be the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka and is believed to enshrine the collar bone relic of Lord Buddha.

The guard stones like these are generally found in pairs at the entrance to temples, palaces and other revered sites.

Aukana Buddha

Aukana Buddha

The 13 meter high statue carved out of solid granite, goes back to the 5th century, to the reign of King Dathusena. (about 50km south of Anuradhapura)

On a rainy day, it is said, that one can see droplets of water falling off the tip of the statue's nose hitting the ground exactly between the toes. - A testament to the architectural accuracy of the sculptor. The brick enclosure around and above was built recently to protect it from weather.

Anuradhapura map

Anuradhapura map

The city

Although according to historical records the city was founded in the 5th century BC, the archaeological data put the date as far back as the 10th century BC^{[citation needed]}. Very little evidence was available about the period before the 5th century BC (i.e. the protohistoric period), though excavations have revealed information about the earlier inhabitants of the city.

Further excavations in Anuradhapura have uncovered information about the existence of a protohistoric habitation of humans in the citadel. The protohistoric Iron Age which spans from 900 to 600 BC, marked the appearance of iron technology, pottery, the horse, domestic cattle and paddy cultivation. In the time period 700 to 600 BC the settlement in Anuradhapura had grown over an area of at least 50 ha. The city was strategically situated of major ports northwest and northeast, it was surrounded by irrigable and fertile land. The city was also buried deep in the jungle providing natural defence from invaders.

Lower Early Historic period

The Lower Early Historic period, spanning from 500 to 250 BC, is studied on the lines of the chronicles. During this time King Pandukabhaya formally planned the city, with gates, quarters for traders etc. The city at the time would have covered an area of 1 square kilometre which makes it one of the largest in the continent at the time.