Anuradhapura, the capital city of the Anuradhapura District, can be described as the oldest kingdom from our ancient kingdoms. You can use the highway or the railway line to reach Anuradhapura, located 205 km from Colombo, in the North Central Province. As Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka, it is directly connected to several other major cities in the country by several highways. 

The connected cities are Vavuniya, Dambulla, Matale, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Kurunegala and Kandy. Therefore, there are 4 access roads to Anuradhapura. The bus route No. 4 coming through Negombo and Puttalam is the first.The 57 bus route coming through Kurunegala Mahawa is the second. The Dambulla bus route divides into two at Kekirawa, one via Maradankadawala and the other via Eppawala.

Due to its location in the dry zone, it has a temperate climate throughout the year. It receives rainfall from the northeast monsoon and receives an annual rainfall of 1368 mm. November usually receives more rain. March, April, May and June experience higher temperatures.

Anuradhapura can be described as a unique city in our country. This is due to the fact that Anuradhapura was one of the oldest and most powerful kingdoms in Sri Lanka and a large number of ruins of that ancient kingdom can still be seen.  During the Anuradhapura period, the kings of Sri Lanka made a great contribution to the advancement of Theravada Buddhism. It has many large dagobas and stupas that were built in the past and are still worshiped today.  There are Eight Great Places of Veneration in Anuradhapura known as “Atamasthana”. Those eight places are  Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanwaliseya , Thuparamaya,Lovamahapaya, Abhayagiriya, Jethawanaramaya, Mirisawatiya and Lankaramaya.  A large number of local and foreign devotees and tourists come to Anuradhapura to pay homage to these Atamasthana.

 In addition to the Atamasthanas, there are many other places of religious and cultural value in the Anuradhapura area. These are Isurumuniya, Magul Uyana, Vessagiriya, Ratnaprasada, Dakshina Stupa, Sela Chaitya, Kuttam Pokuna, Samadhi Statue, Toluvila Statue, Ranmasu Uyana, Mihintale and Tantirimale.

After the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka by  Mahinda Thera, King Devanampiya Tissa, who embraced Buddhism, firmly believed that the people should live according to Buddhism, so he began to build Buddhist temples and monuments to promote Buddhism. He has also built the "Simamalaka” required for the sub-ceremonies of the Sangha. 

King Gemunu can also be mentioned as a special king who ruled Sri Lanka in the Anuradhapura era. Several religious places in Anuradhapura were built by King Gemunu and Ruwanweli Maha Seya  is highly revered by the Buddhists.

The ancient city of Anuradhapura can be described as one of the most important archeological sites in the world. Anuradhapura was first made the capital by King Pandukabhaya in the 4th century. The ancient city of Anuradhapura, which was systematically planned, was one of the largest cities in Asia at that time. 

The ruins of Anuradhapura are mainly divided into three types, namely dagobas, temples and ponds. There are many archeological sites in and around the sacred city of Anuradhapura which are not yet properly identified. Anuradhapura has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you are planning a trip to Anuradhapura, you should stay in Anuradhapura for at least two days. Those two days may not be enough as you have a lot to see in Anuradhapura. There are a number of hotels in Anuradhapura that are suitable for accommodation. Heritage Hotel Anuradhapura, Amuththa Resort, Pinthaliya Resort & Spa, Sacred City Tourist Resort, Hotel Randiya, Four Points Resort are some of the hotels that offer good service for a reasonable price and there are many restaurants in Anuradhapura that serve delicious and clean food. Among them, Mango Mango, Little Paradise, Polhena restaurant, Hotel Shalini Restaurant and Bamboo Restaurant Juice Bar stand out.

The ancient Sri Lankan civilization based on ancient Anuradhapura can be considered as one of the greatest civilizations that emerged in Asia and the whole world.It would be a great experience to see this city with such a proud culture and great civilization.