Thursday, March 23, 2006

World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka

Royal and sacred cities, cliff top citadels, colonial strongholds, temple caves and virgin forests - with no fewer than seven World Heritage Sites declared and listed by UNESCO, Sri Lanka is one of Asia's richest treasure troves of both natural and man­made wonders.

 

Six of these marvels span some 2,500 years of history - from the sacred city of Anuradhapura and the cave temples of Dambulla, to the magnificent temples and palaces of the royal city of Kandy. The Dutch fortification at Galle has the added distinction of being a living World Heritage Site. But the seventh jewel in Sri Lanka's heritage crown owes nothing to man and everything to nature: the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot, with its own unique eco-system consisting of protected birds, flora and fauna. The country's former royal capital, Kandy, the archaeological sites at Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya - the palace in the sky - form Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle - a world of ancient wonders.

 

WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF SRI LANKA

 

THE SACRED CITY OF ANURADHAPURA  (5 BC)

THE MEDIEVAL CAPITAL OF POLONNARUWA  (10 AD)

THE CAVE TEMPLES OF DAMBULLA  (1 BC)

THE SIGIRIYA ROCK FORTRESS (5 AD)

THE ROYAL CITY OF KANDY  (17 AD)

THE DUTCH FORTIFICATIONS AT GALLE  (17 AD)

THE SINHARAJA FOREST RESERVE

 

Spiritually inspiring, year after year, visitors from around the world make their personal pilgrimages to the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

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