The Most Beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka

 All kinds of tourists are allured towards this country as it is a hub of many activities and history and a beautiful country. The best places visit in the Sri Lanka are Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and hundreds of others. All time of year thousands of adventurous  activities keep happening here so it will never be a boring destination. Travel destinations in Sri Lanka have everything that will capture the eyes and soul of the Traveler. 

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is an important landmark chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a protected area. The places selected are usually in a historical location with cultural and anthropological importance. Sri Lanka is home to eight such sites – six cultural and two natural. Keep reading to find out what they are, 

01. Ancient City of Sigiriya

          

The rocky outcrop of Sigiriya holds the ancient remains of King Kassapa’s palace from the 5th century AD. The top is reachable by stairs built on the side of the mountain, and features the Lion Rock, as well as the remains of the palace and fortress. Ascend to the top for a remarkable 360-degree view of the jungle below. Sigiriya was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

02. Sacred City of Kandy

 Kandy, a mountain city in Sri Lanka, was home to Sinhalese kings from 1592 to 1815. It’s also the site of Sri Dalada Maligawa, also called the Temple of the Tooth; here, a special container holds a tooth of the Buddha. Over the years, the relic came to be very important politically, with some believing that the holder of the sacred tooth was the one who would have power over the Buddhist population. Kandy was appointed the status of World Heritage Site in 1988, mainly due to the Temple of the Tooth.

03. Sacred City of Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, distinguished for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient civilization. According to Mahawamsa, the great chronicle of the Sinhalese, the city of Anuradhapura was named after a minister called Anuradha who found this area as a village settlement by the Malwatu Oya in the second half of the 6th century BC. In the 4th century BC, King Pandukabhaya made Anuradhapura the capital of his kingdom. The city is also home to a hugely sacred Bodhi tree, believed to be a descendant of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha was illuminated. Anuradhapura became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

04. Old Town of Galle

The fort has a colorful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria iv, for its unique exposition of "an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The entire fort has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

05. Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa is part of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, along with Anuradhapura and Sigiriya. After the destruction of Anuradhapura in the 1st century, it became the capital of Sri Lanka. The remains include Brahminic constructions from the Cholas civilization, as well as the garden city that was built in the 12th century. This site was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

06. Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja is a Rain Forest and a biodiversity hotspot which is located in south west lowland wet zone within Sabaragamu and Southern provinces of Sri Lanka. Sinharaja rain forest is the country’s last viable area of primary tropical rain forest. It covers an area of 11,000 Ha of primary and secondary forests. This narrow strip of rolling site comprises of a series of ridges and valleys. More than 60% of the trees are endemic to Sinharaja Forest and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of butterflies & mammals and also many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians. This is one of the main reasons that UNESCO declared Sinharaja Forest as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1988 under the name of Sinharaja Forest Reserve. In 1936 Sinharaja Forest was first recognized as being the only considerable patch of virgin tropical rain forest in the Island.

07. Dambulla Cave Temple

The Golden Dambulla Cave Temple has been a pilgrimage destination for the past 22 centuries. It’s also the largest and best-preserved cave temple on the island. The Dambulla Cave Temple was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 in order to preserve the magnificent wall paintings and more than 150 statues in and around the temple.

08. Central Highlands

The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka include Horton Plains National Park, the Knuckles Conservation Forest and the Peak Wilderness Protected Area. At more than 2,000m (6,562ft) above sea level, this natural World Heritage Site joined the others in 2010. There are plenty of hiking trails in the Central Highlands, and it’s a biodiverse haven.