Great Historical Places to See in Sri Lanka

Due to the luxurious vacations you can get for a relatively cheap prize, Sri Lanka is fast becoming a popular destination for tourists. Although Sri Lanka was famous for its beauty for a long time, one of the main reasons why tourism did not take off was the civil war that lasted almost three decades. With the end of the war, the government launched a strong campaign to promote tourism and many benefits were given to visitors and the hotel industry in general.

When it comes to places to see in Sri Lanka, it could be divided into three categories, ancient historical sites, natural sites like nature reserves and botanical gardens and different museums that exhibit different Sri Lankan handmade crafts.

With a written history spanning over two thousand years, Sri Lanka can boast some of the oldest sites in the world. For a small island, it has six UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. The rock fortress of Sigiriya, the most visited of all, is considered the eighth wonder of the world by some due to the extraordinary design of the place. Dambulla Golden Temple, Galle Fort, Kandy Holy City, Polonnaruwa Ancient City and Anuradhapura Holy City are other world heritage cultural sites worth visiting. When it comes to places like Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the things you can see can be overwhelming. It’s always a good idea to do some research and choose the places to visit before you go there. Some travel agents can organize guided tours and Anuradhapura and Polonnnaruwa are two places where you should definitely consider hiring a tour guide.

Most of the tourists prefer the huge Dagobas. They could be an impressive site when you get very close to them. The most beautiful is Ruwanweliseya, which is a magnificent site due to its huge pure white structure. Another interesting thing to see are the different moonstones found at the entrances of temples and palaces. The changes in the moonstone provide a good glimpse into the country’s history and how Hinduism began to affect Sri Lankan architecture.

Although it is not considered a world heritage site and is not even considered one of the eight most important holy places in Anuradhapura, one of the most visited tourist destinations in Anuradhapura is the Isurumuniya temple. There are some famous stone carvings, with the “Lovers of Isurumuni” being the most famous.

With a rich history spanning over two thousand years, there are hundreds of ancient places you can visit in Sri Lanka, just make sure you are informed about the places you are visiting.