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Anuradhapura MapAnuradhapura - අනුරාධපුර
(Anuradhapura Era:3rd BC - 10th AD)
Several centuries before the Jesus Christ, while the Greek empire was at its zenith, many other regions were emerging from the stone age; Anurdhapura was already and advanced civilization. The city was well laid out and well linked.  Irrigated by sophisticated systems of man-made lake s and canals, this city was a world trade center. This is evidenced by the Greek merchant guide book titled "purples of the Erythraen Sea", Ptolemy's first ever map, and further by monk travelers Fa Hien and Buddagosha of, the 5th century A. D.

Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's most sacred town. From origins as a settlement in the 6th century BC, it was made capital in 377 BC by King Pandukabhaya (437-367 BC) who started the great irrigation works on which it depended, and named it after the constellation Anuradha.

Anuradha was the first general of the king Vijaya: the legendary ancestor of the Sinhalese race. The city measured 52 square kilometers' and was maintained by at least 500 scavengers.The city was divided into several quarters. Foreign traders lived in one quarter. Their houses were of 2 or 3 stories. Artisans occupied some avenues.

Important Placess around Anuradhapura

රුවන්වැලි මහා සෑය
  Abhayagiri Monastery
අභයගිරි ස්තූපය
Sandakada Pahana
සඳකඩ පහන
  Samadhi Buddha Statue
සමාධි බුද්ධ ප්‍රතිමාව
  Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya
ජයශ්‍රීමහා බෝධිය

  Kuttam Pokuna
කුට්ටම් පොකුණ