A guide to the Southern Ruins at Polonnaruwa, including Potgul Vihara, believed to be Sri Lanka's oldest library complex, visiting tips and map.

A guide to Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's first great capital: its founding, Buddhism's arrival, the Chola invasion, visiting tips and map.

A guide to the Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba at Anuradhapura: King Dutugemunu's dying wish, the engineering behind its foundation, visiting tips and map.

A guide to Jetavanaramaya at Anuradhapura: once the world's tallest brick building, built amid Buddhist sectarian conflict, visiting tips and map.

A guide to Thuparama Dagoba at Anuradhapura: Sri Lanka's oldest stupa, built to enshrine the Buddha's collarbone relic, visiting tips and map.

A guide to the Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura: the world's oldest historically documented tree, grown from the Buddha's own enlightenment tree, visiting tips and...

A guide to Mirisavetiya Dagoba and the Goldfish Park at Anuradhapura: King Dutugemunu's stupa of atonement, its origin legends, visiting tips and map.

A guide to Issurumuniya Temple at Anuradhapura: the 'Isurumuniya Lovers' carving, 500 ordained children, its royal romance legend, visiting tips and map.

A guide to the Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I at Anuradhapura: built after defeating the Cholas, yet already obsolete, visiting tips and map.

A guide to Anuradhapura's ancient irrigation tanks: Basawakkulama, Tissa Wewa and Nuwara Wewa, engineering that predates the capital's rise, visiting tips and map.