Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka's first ancient capital, established around the 4th century BC, and served as the centre of Sinhalese civilisation for over a thousand years. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site scattered with monasteries, reservoirs, and some of the largest brick structures in the ancient world.

At its heart is the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, said to have grown from a cutting of the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, making it one of the oldest continuously tended trees in human history.