UNICCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the richest country in Asia for both nature & man-made wonders. The UNESCO has carefully selected places below as world heritage sites which should be protected under the World Heritage Act. The amazing skills and creativity of ancient carpenters and stone workers astonish the modern historians.
Sri DaladaMaligawa
The Sri DaladaMaligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the tooth relic of the Buddha, a tooth, which is venerated by Buddhists. The relic has played an important role in the local politics since ancient times; it's believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country, which caused the ancient kings to protect it with great effort.
Sigiriya
Sigiriya, considered by some as the eighth wonder of the world, consists of an ancient castle used by King Kasyapa of the 5th century AD. The Sigiriya site has the remains of an upper Sky Palace sited on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace that includes the Lion Gate and the Mirror Wall and the Sigiriya Frescoes, the lower palace that clings to the slopes below the rock, and the moats, walls and gardens that extend for some hundreds of metres out from the base of the rock.
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is the first ancient capital of Sri Lanka which lasted for the longest period as the capital in the country.It is important to locals for religion,history,and the culture and world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. The Civilization which was built upon this city was one of the greatest civilizations of Asia and in the world. Ancient kings like Dutugamunu,and Walagamba built dagabas tanks and temples. The remains of such monuments are until today.
Galle
Galle is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km (74 mi) from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although IbnBatuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle is a beautiful city which has an historical value. There are some buildings still remain to watch which contain ancient architectural structures. Galle Fort is a very famous place there.
Polonnaruva
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader. While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa is considered significant, the real Polonnaruwa Hero of the history books is actually his grandson, Parakramabahu I. Scared monuments of sitting, meditating and sleeping position statues of lord Buddha are very famous. There are many ruins of temples, dagabas, palaces and ponds as well.
Dambulla Cave temple
Dambulla Cave temple (also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla) is a world heritage site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 km (92 mi) east of Colombo and 72 km (45 mi) north of Kandy. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m (525 ft) over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding. The ancient drawings, statues of Buddha and carvings also can be seen .
Sinharaja Forest
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park in Sri Lanka.The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests eco region, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1989. The reserve's name translates as Kingdom of the Lion.
Central Highlands
This site comprises the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest. Central Highlands was added to the list in 2010 [1] and qualified because of its biodiversity. Rare plants, flowers, herbs , are visible in the central highlands.
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