What to see in Sri Lanka - where to go
The republic is located on the island of the same name in South Asia and used to be called Ceylon.
History of Sri Lanka
Archaeological excavations show that the first settlers on the island were ancestors from northern India in the 3rd century BC. e. A navigator Lawrence de Almeida in 1506 was the first European of the island and during the 16th century Portugal made the state of Ceylon its colony.
After some time, the country was under the leadership of Holland, then the English Empire. The state received its independence in 1948, but remained part of Britain.
After 24 years, the Dominion of Ceylon gained full independence, and was renamed Sri Lanka (translated from the ancient language of India - “glorious blessed land”).
Now Sri Lanka is considered one of the most beautiful countries in the region and for many years has been ranked first in the supply of tea to all countries of the world.
City of Polonnaruwa
In the 11th century A.D. e. the city of Polonnaruwa was founded, which became the capital of the medieval state (after Anuradhapura).
The most popular attraction for tourists are the remains of the ancient city, preserved on the territory of the modern archaeological park.
History buffs can visit the Gal Vihara Temple. A feature of this religious building are four statues of Buddha carved into a granite rock in the 12th century.
Sigiriya city
In addition to Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya (180 km from the capital Colombo) has also been under the protection of UNESCO since 1982.
The city was founded in the 5th century during the reign of the monk-king Kasappa I and was a palace fortress, the construction of which began on the top of a cliff, more than 370 meters high. Kasappa was sure that an impregnable cliff created by nature, formed from the magma of an extinct volcano, would protect his brother (heir to the throne) from an assassination attempt.
But according to the documents, he was still killed by him.
Tourists have the opportunity to explore the ancient city and visit the palace-fortress as part of the excursion, in which the throne room and the pool of Kasappa I have survived to this day.
The city of Dambulla is located 20 km from Sigiriya. The main attraction is the temple, built in natural caves in the period of the 1st century BC. e.
The ancient building is a Buddhist temple with numerous Buddha statues and is the largest religious cave structure in South Asia. The cult building is located on the top - one of the mountains of Sri Lanka. Tourists can visit the complex of temple structures located in five caves.72 sculptures are gold-plated. Therefore, the temple is called "golden".
City of Galle
Not far from the resort area of Sri Lanka is the city of Galle, included in the UNESCO list as a World Heritage Site.
Tourists in this city are attracted by a fort built during the Portuguese colonization of the state in the 17th century.The fortress is a small town, completely surrounded by fortress walls, on its territory there are architectural monuments of culture and a historical museum.
Kandy city
In the central part, on the banks of the Aruvi River, is Kandy, founded in the 14th century.In 1592, the city received the status of the last capital of the royal country of Sri Lanka.
The main attraction and pride of the indigenous people is the temple building - "Temple of the Tooth Relic", which preserves the main relic of Buddhism - one of the four teeth of the Buddha.
The legend, which has come down to our time, says that the Buddha bequeathed his body to be set on fire after death. The will was executed in 540 BC. e. As a result of cremation, four teeth of the Saint were found and in 371 BC. e. one of the teeth was brought to Ceylon and a temple was built for this relic. Tourists are given the opportunity to see the temple building and other architectural monuments of past centuries.
European tourists are attracted by historical cultural monuments associated with the centuries-old history of the state, beach holidays on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, surrounded by the unique nature of the Republic of Sri Lanka.